Green is the New Black
Green thumb groupie
If you were to tell me a year ago that I would have a plant AND keep it alive; I would have laughed in your face.
If you were to tell me a year ago that I would have a plant AND keep it alive; I would have laughed in your face. I have an unfortunate reputation of being a plant hospice worker; I basically get a plant and then ease them into the afterlife. Seriously, I managed to kill a cactus before. A CACTUS. However, a couple months ago, I decided that I wanted to evolve into having a green thumb because I eventually want to grow my own vegetables. I talked to a couple friends that are successful plant Moms; they have the greenest thumbs and a passion for plants. I asked their advice for a good starting point and also filled them in on my history of being terrible at keeping plants alive. They were crazy enough to believe in me despite knowing my failures and my one friend entrusted me with a pothos. She assured me that they were low maintenance, resilient, and a great start on my journey to green thumbery. I named my pothos Betsy and have diligently watered her, put her where she gets plenty of sunlight, and the room is temperature controlled. And to my joy and amazement, she is thriving!
This probably seems like a completely random story but there are lessons to be learned here. 1.) You ultimately are responsible for what kind of person you become. You can blame life, circumstances, people that hurt you, or whatever, but at the end of the day. You are responsible for you and your own growth. I decided that I wanted to turn over a new leaf if you will, and learn to properly keep plants alive instead of just accepting that I am and always will be incapable of doing so, and so I initiated change. 2.) You need people in your life that know your shortcomings and still believe and encourage you to grow. My friends knew how terrible I was at this, but believed I could accomplish this goal regardless. They didn’t roll their eyes or enable me to stay the same way I have always been. They encouraged my growth, and even gave me the tools and opportunity to show up and do the dang thing. 3.) Like a plant needs light to thrive, we too need light in our lives. We need things that excite us, make our days brighter, and keep the darkness at bay. 4.) Plants need the right environment and nutrients to grow and so do we. We need to have the right people around us; we need to be fueling our spirit, body, and mind in the best way possible, and we need to position ourselves in the right ”temperature controlled” place. The right place could be your job, your community, your tribe, etc.
So take a lesson from this newly reformed plant Mom, you don’t have to do what you’ve always done, and you don’t have to stay forever rooted and set in your ways. There is so much growth available AND attainable if you just decide to try.
