Gardening
In my neck of the woods, we are fully into spring! The trees are budding, the daffodils and tulips are blooming, the bees are buzzing around, and the inside of my house is covered in a fine dusting of yellow pollen from leaving the windows open. And you know what that means– gardening season!
A couple of weeks ago I ordered all the seeds and plants for our flower and vegetable gardens, and every day I expectantly check the front porch to see if the UPS man has delivered the packages yet. Spring planting is so very exciting for me! I daydream and envision all the beautiful flowers that will bloom in our front gardens. I think about how nice it will be to sit on our front porch and enjoy a cup of tea while inhaling the scent of fresh flowers. Or how wonderful it will be to gather up ripe tomatoes and cucumbers and radishes for a lunch salad. And how much I look forward to canning homemade peach and blueberry jams, applesauce, pickles, and tomatoes.
I’m sure all gardeners share similar dreams of their lovingly planted seeds growing into a bountiful harvest. But the truth is that it’s not as easy as it sounds. A bountiful harvest (or even just a mediocre harvest!) takes proper planning– from knowing which plants will grow in your garden to properly preparing the soil before panting to planting at the correct time in the best place…. and then there’s the endless watering and weeding for weeks on end, not to mention the bugs that like the harvest just as much as we do! It’s a lot of work to have a successful garden! It takes money for supplies, dedicated time for maintenance and upkeep, and lots of effort. And even then, there are no guarantees.
What does gardening have to do with mental health?
Life is like that, too. So is therapy. If you think of your life and your relationships as a garden, how are you doing? Are they growing successfully? Do they need a little more time and attention to be fruitful? Are you sitting on the porch sipping tea and just *waiting* for them to do it all on their own? Have the weeds taken over? If you’re not satisfied with how your garden is growing, take some time to consider what you can do to change that.
If you’re curious about how music therapy might help, contact me anytime. I’m always happy to answer questions!
