Kindness Challenge No. 4

This year, to celebrate Wolfenoot season, I am posting a series of challenges aimed at focussing the energy of Wolfenoot on spreading kindness and light in the world.

This is the fourth, because growing things is good for you and good for the Earth.

I love planting things. I love the smell of things growing. It is spring in Aotearoa New Zealand right now, so my garden is exploding. I sit outside in the spring sunshine, and I can smell the green. We have a mandarin tree in our backyard that is currently covered in blossoms, and so it is constantly surrounded by industrious bees. We grow herbs and flowers and natives.

The kowhai I was given as part of my citizenship ceremony is flourishing. It was struggling last year - we moved and the move was hard on it. But this year it has bounce back, with a bit of love from me and a good sunny spot. It even flowered for the first time!

Growing things brings me great joy. There is something so (if you’ll excuse the turn of phrase) grounding about putting your hands in soil and carefully placing tiny things that will turn into big things. You breathe the air and put your hands in the earth and you are part of something bigger than you.

So, this is my challenge for this week. Plant something. It can be a small succulent on your window sill, if you’re not familiar with growing things (succulents are very low maintenance), or it can be a tree that will grow in your back yard for decades. Either way, start it off now. And then send me pictures of your tiny growing things.

Together, let’s make the earth a little greener.