March into Mindfulness

Hey y’all — I have missed everyone!

I am in the midst of spring semester in college, so I have been very busy these last few months. However, I want to thank each of my guest-writers for stepping in for me during such a busy time. I appreciate you!

In the spirit of spring time coming around, I wanted to create an article that could be impactful and enlightening for y'all.

Before doing that though, I have to give credit to my Rotunda Scholar mentees, Aileen Sanchez & Aniery Resendiz, for the content, inspiration, and allegory behind this piece—love y’all! Also my co-worker, Cristalle Choi, helped with generating some ideas as well :)

It’s no secret that with spring comes connotations of “a fresh start”, “nature”, and even “gardening”. While I am personally not a fan of gardening myself, I grew up helping my mom with our flower beds in Oklahoma.

Recalling back on those moments I spent gardening with my mom, I am grateful to have participated in such moments of facilitating growth—even though I was bad at it haha.

The process is pretty simple: pick a flower, choose a location, dig a hole in the dirt, cover the flower with soil, and then water it.

The same can be said about life. Notions of going to college, getting a good job, finding a life partner, & having kids are some popular topics in culture.

Yet, not everyone’s life stages look like this. Likewise, not everyone's garden is the same.

Whether you’re into the actual act of gardening itself —or not —I wanted to offer you guys a way that you can step into this spring season successfully.

Think of your life as a flower (corny I know).

As the main gardener of your life, you have the agency to shape & craft it as you see; you can select the flowerbeds; you can plant new seeds; you can take out the unwanted weeds; you can watch the blooming, & even more.

Metaphorically, if you’re applying this premise to your own life, viewing it as your garden, I would encourage you to really take a look at the flowers (roots) you are planting.

Whether it's a relocation, a job, education, a relationship, etc. we all plant roots of things in our lives.

Ask yourself: What are the roots you’re planting in your life?

However, like plants, sometimes shedding or natural disasters can take place. Perhaps it’s a rainstorm, a snowstorm, or the neighborhood dog, there’s inevitably things that may prevent our flowers (lives) from blooming.

Have you had instances in your life where you felt that you were unable to bloom?

When this happens for plants, it’s normal. But when this happens to us humans, loss can be difficult.

Sometimes not all flowers bloom to their full potential. But understanding with some extra help & care, neighboring flowers can show another how they support them & their season with love. The same can be applied with people!

Despite this, after every showering, difficult season, spring always comes. If you are weathering a difficult time in your life, know that spring always comes: meaning

YOUR SPRING will come eventually.

Blooming seasons are amazing—don’t get me wrong. When everything is going right in life, you got the job, or you achieve some goal, it can feel liberating.

But this isn’t exemplary of everyone’s season. Some people are genuinely struggling, feeling exhausted, or not seeing their garden (life) bloom.

Others maybe look at another person’s garden & wonder why their own is not doing so well.

Each flower has individual stages of life. Therefore, remind yourself that before comparing your garden to another. One day, you too will reach your own spring.

Because of this, I urge you all to consider how you can become an ally to those who are in such a season.

You never know how a small act of kindness can shape someone’s season: hold the door open for someone, smile at another, compliment someone’s outfit, value someone’s insight. There’s so many ways to do this in your own life!

Also, remember, like bees, people can serve as pollinators, adding value to a flower’s life. Even more so, bees are essential to a flower’s ability to survive. You, my reader, have the ability to feed another's spirits, offer someone encouragement, and be a support system.

I, too, have had some rainy seasons where I was not sure if my own spring would come. Although I was unsure if my spring would come, as I was waiting, I had to remain strong in my roots: knowing who I am, the life I want to lead, and those surrounding me.

Sometimes even seemingly "sunny" or comforting seasons even lead to deserts or "dry" seasons of your life; however, it is in the rainy seasons that deepens your roots & helps you grow into the next. I hope you feel encouraged by this perspective y'all regardless of the season you're in.

Your roots are stronger than you think; therefore, this spring, let us all

March into Mindfulness, knowing how we can foster our own lives in a gardening fashion: planting seeds, trimming weeds if needed, blooming, and pollinating the lives of those around us.

I can’t wait to hear from you all about your own beautiful, blooming seasons!

[Also, here's a song I constantly find myself turning to when I need a reminder of God's ability to turn my "graves", or baron seasons, into "gardens"].

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwX1f2gYKZ4

Graves into Gardens by Elevation Worship & Brandon Lake