Gardening, or just being outside in nature, has helped me tremendously over the years. There’s something about digging in the dirt, seeing things grow, that is calming to me. Especially if I’m having a bad day, if I’m stressed or in a widow funk, I try to go outside and do some work in my flower or vegetable garden. It’s where I seem to somehow find my balance again. Gardening to me is healing. It brings peace to my heart.
Gardening has always been something I enjoy. My dad was a great gardener. He could grow the biggest tomatoes, strawberries, potatoes and so on. I have wonderful memories of being in the garden with him as a child, helping him, and him teaching me along the way. Unfortunately I’m not all that good when it comes to growing veggies. I usually plant tomatoes, green beans and a few other things. They do okay but I’m much better with flowers. I love seeing them thrive and bloom, and they are my pride and joy. It’s wonderful to drive up to the house and be greeted by a lovely sea of pink, purple and yellow blossoms. It makes me happy.
Finding something that brings you joy, if only a little bit, is so important. Especially in the early stages of grief, it’s so hard to enjoy anything at all when you are completely consumed by sadness. But with time, there will be things that will brighten your day a bit. It might be playing or listening to music, or maybe exercising, dancing, doing crafts, reading etc. For me, it’s yoga, being outside in nature, and vegetable and flower gardening. It soothes my soul.