Find Me in the Garden 

Posted on by beautybeyondbones

Guys. I’ll admit: I’m pretty “basic.”

Granted, I don’t drink Starbucks, and Uggs are not my footwear of choice, but I definitely can relate to the stereotype, probably more than I’d like to admit.

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Like my affinity for Audrey Hepburn.

Now, to be fair, I never saw Breakfast at Tiffany’s, but hey — I like a pair of oversized sunglasses and pearls like the best of ’em.

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But I was scrolling through my Facebook feed yesterday, and I came across a quote, alledgedly by Miss Hepburn:

It goes like this:

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”

And for whatever reason, that idea really stuck with me throughout the day.

Maybe because I love flowers so much. Maybe because it was full of hope, but it succeeded in getting me thinking.

You see, gardens have a special spot in my heart. They’re meaningful. But not for what Audrey is musing about.

For me, they mean something more.

To plant a garden, and care for a garden, is to learn how to take care of a living thing.

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My recovery from anorexia has had its ups and down. I’ve been in recovery for eight years now, but there was a time, right after inpatient, that I relapsed. I am not proud of it, but it is part of my story.

Long story short, I had to move home after my first semester at college to get healthy and kick ED out of my life once and for all.

Well, during that time at home, I began to care for my mother’s garden.

I’ll be honest, it started out as just a coping mechanism after eating. Something to get my mind off of triggering thoughts, and to get outside, get some fresh air. Clear my head.

But it quickly began to be something more.

Day after day, I would go out and and water those flowers. Pick away the weeds, monitor their growth. I found joy in seeing the roses climb up the trellis and bloom. I was learning to care for these delicate and tender flowers as I was learning to care for myself.

I was blooming as they were blooming.

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Obviously, there is a hackneyed metaphor of God being the master gardener. Jesus is the Vine. We are the branches. God tends the vineyard.

We get it.

And it’s a cliche because it truly is a beautiful allegory.

But I’m not going to waste your time with that right now.

There is beauty in taking care of yourself.

Gardening teaches one patience.

Recovery was not an overnight phenomenon.

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I think today, we’re so used to instant gratification. We post an instagram photo and within the hour we get X number of likes. We order something on Amazon, and we can get it the following day. Cell phones, Facebook chat, FaceTime. Patience is a dying art.

Flowers take time to bloom. To expand and anchor their roots. Have the buds open up. Drink the water. Soak up the sun.

So too, do we.

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That time, tending my mother’s garden was a very special time in my life. I haven’t had a garden since. It was a one time deal. But the lessons I learned have stayed with me.

Yes, the garden would give me hope for the following day; bating my breath for the day when the pink would pop through the tight bud.

But it taught me the importance of gentleness. Gentleness with myself. With allowing myself to grow. To heal. To bloom.

And the thing about gardens is that they’re never finished. Seasons are constantly changing. What looks dead in the winter will find new life again in the spring. What a beautiful image of hope that is.

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Everyday, I’m still growing. Blooming. Each day, Jesus reveals something new in my spirit – reminding me of who I was, showing me His love for me, reminding me of His mercy.

Blooming is scary. But it is not impossible. Not with Him. Not with God.

The thing about gardens is that they’re not just for the gardener to enjoy, but everyone who passes by.

A garden makes an impact. Makes the world a brighter place. That is my deepest prayer – that maybe another person could find encouragement and hope in my garden. That the blooms could point to Him. Remind others of His goodness. Faithfulness. Mercy.

That is the power of a beautiful garden.

One that both you and I possess.

Audrey, yes. Gardens remind us of hope for tomorrow. But they also teach us about the importance of caring for yourself. And allowing yourself to bloom. Because when we do, the world becomes a brighter place. And the beauty of the One who created these flowers can be seen by all who encounter it.

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beautybeyondbones

BBB: Because we're all recovering from something. // For speaking/business inquiries: beautybeyondbones@yahoo.com

247 thoughts on “Find Me in the Garden ”

  2. I started my garden the day before my dad had open heart surgery. He actually made me two planters for my birthday (which he finished the day before he went into the hospital with shortness of breath) and helped me pick out flowers. Gardening really helped me deal with his surgery and recovery. I can’t wait for him to come over and see how far it’s come since he’s been in the hospital.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. very nice use of images to compliment your ideas. i usually use only 1 picture but this suggests that it is possible to do more without overwhelming the story.

        Like

  4. You liked my first article which drew my attention towards your page.
    I must say you write beautifully and it gave me an inspiration as to how to share ones feelings symbolically.
    Thank you. Keep coming with good ones. =)

    Liked by 1 person

  5. So sweet. It reminds me of my mother’s garden. She worked us hard (as we use to put it) to keep it up and it turned out to be the most beautiful thing I’ve seen. The work was well worth it. People from miles around came out to our little country house to see the beauty of something that took time, patience and love to grow and it is one of the things that I will always remember that made my mother smile with love and pride. It was her masterpiece and she did something even better, she planted a rose for each of her 7 girls, all in different colors. I miss her so. Thank you for bringing up my precious memories.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi there Corrie! Oh wow that’s so awesome. I wish I could have seen your garden. It sounds amazing. And how special are those roses. Your mother sounds like an incredible woman. ❤️ Thank you for sharing this. Sending you the biggest hugs xox

      Liked by 1 person

  6. This is beautiful and very well written. The great thing about God is we are always a work in progress. He takes us from Glory to Glory. Keep trusting my friend and you will continue bloom and be all that God has called you to be:)

    Liked by 1 person

  8. This post resonated with me because this year I planted flowers for the first time in several years! As my addiction worsened, I eventually stopped doing the healthy outlets I used to enjoy. Like you said, recovery is a process. It took me almost a year to finally get to a point of wanting to plant flowers again. I did not do it alone. I have found new life because of Him.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Everest! Thank you so much for sharing this. I’m glad it resonated with you. And I’m so glad you’re wanting to plant a garden again! Amen to that-He gives us new life! Praying for you friend. Stay strong warrior ❤️ Hugs and love xox

      Like

  17. You are just to good, reading your that compensated by cool picture are too good,
    no wonder you have such a huge following.
    if you ever wish to make a guest post on my page, I would be honored
    I do not have as big WordPress following but over all I have over 9,000 followers
    might be good exposure for your talent

    Like

    1. Hi Alex, thank you so much for your kind words! That’s so awesome! Thank you for the offer. right now things are a little crazy, but once things settle down, I may be able to. So glad you stopped by! Hugs and love xox

      Liked by 1 person

  18. It’s awesome how we learn beautiful life lessons from the simplest things in life. This was a beautiful piece.

    Like

  19. I tried gardening. I try to be patient but this year the deer ate all of my hosta, which is the only plant I have had success in growing. How sad 😦 But I will not give up! You have inspired me (again) to keep going. Thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

  20. So much spiritual food from the garden in so many ways. I can be out of sorts when I walk out there and be ok by the time I walk back in the house! Good post points.

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  23. Can’t stop thinking of that quote, “to plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow” it is such a testament to hope, and it’s something everyone does around here (I live in the country). You know, you are just as much a symbol of hope, and God is using your blog just as he uses the sun to nourish a garden. Your victory over anorexia shows everyone that there is hope, and that through God anything is possible and that in Him we find a peace that nothing in this world can shake. God bless you sister in Christ.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Riley! Thank you for this. Yeah it’s definitely a powerful quote. And wow, I am so touched by your kind words. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. God is good and I owe Him everything. So glad you stopped by! Hugs and love xox

      Liked by 1 person

  25. You are such an amazing soul, God is using you in such a powerful way, you are touching so many lives including my own, I couldn’t even begin to imagine what you have gone through even when I stopped eating myself, I’m so blessed to read about your life and to have your as a sister in Christ ❤ I would love to know your name and even meet you one day (hopefully before we meet in God's kingdom 😉 )
    God Bless You & Love you Sister ❤
    Benjamin xx

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    1. lol the comment post says this is being posted at silly o’clock in the morning, I really hope you don’t get email notifications straight to your phone and it to wake you up its 11am here lol

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    2. Hey Benjamin, thank you so much for your kind words. Wow it really means a lot. It brings my heart so much joy to know that you’ve been enjoying my posts. You are a blessing to me. Hugs and love xox

      Like

  26. That was beautiful. I’m learning that in true pain there must be something new that emerges because, to steal your metaphor, the original garden has been destroyed, the precious petals have been burned by the sun of reality and there must be something new planted. If not, our souls will forever remained damaged. Thanks for you post. It was a pleasure to read it.

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    1. Thank you Joshua, for sharing this. You’re so right-there is definitely beauty that comes from pain. I’m sorry you’re going through something like that. Sending prayers and the biggest hugs to you friend. Hang in there ❤️

      Liked by 1 person

  27. The message is clear as written and delivered softly enough that even an ‘odd duck’ such as myself is capable of seeing the hypocrite I’ve been. This is a good self discovery. No worries. It will be in a new post. Thank you so much!

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    1. Thank you so much for sharing this. I’m glad it resonated with you. And aren’t we all a little bit of an odd duck when it comes right down to it? ☺️☺️☺️ Hugs and love xox

      Like

  29. I love your honesty! You’re writing is beautiful! I think there’s another metaphor in here somewhere about pruning back the big and beautiful yet draining and unnecessary to reveal new life and growth…it seems scary at the time to cut back something growing so beautifully but it takes patience and trust to yield something even more amazing!

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  32. Love this! I so relate to planting, caring for, watching and pruning the things I’ve planted. It’s a great way to look at how we sees ourselves, how God sees us and believe that He is the Master Gardener!

    Like

  33. I am a huge Audrey Hepburn fan. I have seen quite a bit of her movies. You must take a moment to watch “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “Roman Holiday.” That quote has always meant a lot to me. If you plant a garden, you must have hope for tomorrow, and that’s what it means to me. I always enjoy reading your posts, keep up the good work.

    Like

  35. This was so absolutely beautiful to read😍 it’s so important to care for our bodies and it really does take patience and trusting the process in order to see a beautiful result❤️❤️

    Like

  37. Dear B3. Reading this beautiful narrative struck a chord in me that is, I know, going to manifest into a project. My normal daily activity revolves around avoiding situations that might result in painful episodes that require stitches. I suppose that can be construed as caring for myself, but not in the way you so eloquently shared. Now I must go plant some flowers. Bless you.

    Like

  38. I have had many gardens myself, for veggies and flowering plants.
    The one I nurture the most often has music, film and poetry.
    It gives me an endless supply of belly laughs, time to dream dreams, and inner growth.
    Thank you for sharing your experiences. They are inspiring.
    and Happy Birthday!
    (just a guess . . . you are a summer baby?)
    ❤
    You are a gift!

    Like

  41. I like your writing and how you include your faith in it.

    Perhaps one reason you liked gardening so much is it’s not about you. It was for your mother, it’s about faith, it’s about God’s love.

    I have the opposite problem you do. I weigh 300 pounds. It is fun to read your perspective. Keep writing.

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