Response of the Garden

I am always talking about learning from nature and the garden. Here is another lesson taught me by the garden. Now it is time for me to do it.

The main lesson I need to learn and practice is that the garden always responds to conditions, never reacts. If there is enough sun and rain, plants respond by growing. If not, they wither and die not react. Reaction implies a give back of something without taking it in first. Response implies that you take in something first and then give back, if necessary. For example, if someone insults a person, a reaction would be to give back an insult and get angry. However, a response would be to absorb the insult and then give back something, if necessary and useful. The same could be said for violence. A reaction is to give violence back but a response might be to seek healing or nonviolent action.

This lesson of the garden of responding not reacting is one I have learned many times but still have not mastered. It is especially difficult to do for me with emails. Emails are frozen words so the tendency is to react, shoot one back without careful thought and reflection, rather than to respond.

Living life by taking in what is given you in life rather than always reacting is much more exciting. You never know what challenges may come your way, and considering each one before a response and not reacting makes the garden of life full of joy.

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