When I’m in the Garden

By Kymisha Montgomery, CGC Urban Agriculture Coordinator

With my hands deep in the soil, I find my safe place. Even with all of the messiness that comes with it—the dirt and insects that live there—I find that it is the purest form of my self-care. It's calming. It reminds me that, just as I am gentle and patient with discovering how to take care of my garden, I should keep that same energy when it comes to my own care.

As each crop grows to its potential, I relish in pride, and it gives me a sense of security and accomplishment. There is something magical and restorative about caring for something from the earth and watching it grow before your eyes. I’m filled with empowerment and resilience. It allows me to heal my relationship with the land and restore my lost connection.

I no longer feel confined by unreachable goals of perfection, but instead I watch and let my garden’s creativity flow and sprawl, tendril by tendril. For me, it is meditative, and I am free.