Fall officially began on September 22nd. I’m sure many of you don’t want to rush it, particularly if you live in cooler climates, but here we are now in Autumn, the time of Harvest.
We are nonetheless, wherever we live, affected mentally by where we are physically. Everything contributes to our state of mind and helps determine how we are able to “go with flow.”
All part of the rhyme and reason. Everyone knows this, a time and a season, but those who are daily stewards, our caretakers of the earth, they know all too well the first hand effects created by the change of seasons. We are now ready for our Harvest, yes, it tis the season to think about reaping what you sow.
I just recently saw the 1979 Peter Sellers movie “Being There,” which somehow got into my Netflix batch. Being an avid gardener, it was so easy for me to relate to the movie’s theme. Ah yes, the importance of gardens, and the rhythm of the seasons.
In the movie, “Chance the [simple] Gardner ” is mistakenly believed to be “Chauncy [the aristocratic] Gardiner.” Although he had never been out in the world, living his life as a gardener, Chance is forced into society after his employer crosses over. How Chance impacts those who come into contact (including Shirley MacLaine as “Eve”) is quite intriguing, as Chance’s views of life as a gardener convey so much to the sophisticated people he meets. More than an interesting movie, it really tells us how we live our life through seasons, whether we are a gardener or not.
While watching the movie, I reflected on how the weather and seasons play into things. As I write, I’m harvesting my tomatoes, a little late because of too much rain in Northeast. I know that once I’ve laid the foundation, which is crucial, there is only so much I can do. Nature assumes control. Of course, I do weed the garden and try to keep the critters out. And I naturally contribute lots of love and nurturing. But I can’t make the sun shine or the rain fall. That is up to Nature. Still…I’m helping and the connection to Nature creates in me a marvelous state of mind/body and soul. Gardening truly teaches one to be in the moment here on Earth, and to love life to its fullest—which is a beneficial way to be because we never know what’s around the corner.
Living my life as a medium where I know that daily at any moment life can change for any of us who loses someone.
I know this so significantly with my work to be true, and then there are those moments that I experience it personally. While visiting my mother this summer, I got to share some special moments with a dear friend—Bonnie, my sister’s best friend in fact—while in her garden. There was a lot of talk of purple basil. She’s Italian and I knew her grandfather who came from Italy and never spoke much English. He passed along to Bonnie his love of gardening and green thumb.
When we were together, I didn’t know it would be my last time seeing Bonnie “in the body”—in her garden, so appropriate, when she passed just one month after our time walking thru her greenhouse. She gave me some purple basil, plus loads of mints and other plants I’d never even heard of.
As Bonnie was the last matriarch of her family, her passing was a major blow. I’ve known the family my whole life and although they don’t share my blood, they are family in every other way. Her passing for me was very personal, and a reminder of how important it is for each and every one of us to live every moment to its fullest, as best we can, and let everyone whom we love know how we feel about them. That’s a state of mind we should all strive for and it is truly one of the most important ways to be—Be here in the now and love each moment.
As I sit writing this letter to you, I am pausing to snack on some of the best tomatoes I’ve ever tasted, right from out of my own garden. And, as a special touch, I added some of Bonnie’s wonderful purple basil. Along with a sip of wine thinking, “I raise my glass to you, Bonnie, because in this moment, we’re enjoying garden delights together, a truly beautiful welcoming to Autumn.
