Written by Maria Ciaccio - March 2022

As we near the end of this second pandemic winter I’m sure we’re all feeling a lil drained to say the least. The fresh light of spring seems like a dream after being submerged in a pit of dark hues lit only by the cold blue glow of a screen. Certainly life has changed quite a bit over the past couple years. Heck, even my blonde hair that’s been the same for 40 years turned dark! But aside from that, one notable difference that stands out the most for me (as a single mom remotely working full-time) is the concept of relaxation at home. The once blissfully lazy wonders of couch-lock were high-jacked. Time off evaporated. Sleep is sparse. Homelife morphed into a work/mom/chore hodgepodge that never ends. It feels like I’m stuck on a constantly perpetuating hamster wheel and never free from a screen.

As humans, when we can’t find solutions, inspiration, or the resources we need to push ahead in tough situations, we might turn to a higher power of some sort and ask for guidance. Spirituality has infinite forms, and the spiritual being that exists in each of our individual minds can look and feel different as our life experiences change our viewpoints and perspectives. Some people find comfort in religion, some pray to a god, some go to church… whatever the case may be, whatever humans choose to worship can be vastly different from 1 mind to another. Personally, I divorced this entire concept many moons ago. Spirituality and I were separated in the midst of a shitstorm. I lost all sight of our connection while a hurricane of unfortunate difficulties disabled visibility. The rainbows and sunshine froze over and hardened. On the surface this was probably not noticeable, and I really didn’t feel like I was missing anything. I believed in facts. What else do you need? Why believe in something that might not show up. It seemed like involving spirituality of any sort just complicated the process of actually making things happen in real life. Even the Elf on the Shelf pissed me off.

So why the heck did my future-self tell Zoe to tell me to see things differently? I was seeing just fine without the other eye!... Or was I? In the midst of another cold grey Tuesday full of zoom-headaches and a never-ending to-do list of not fun tasks, it hit me. The trapped feeling was so overwhelming, but there was nowhere to go. I tried to re-cap my options, maybe if I fit them into a chart or make an infographic, or I could paint a wall with chalkboard paint and make a fun chalk list: Fun Ideas to Escape Anxiety… It turns out that the solution options were bleak, too bleak to turn into a flashy graphic design project. You can’t take a 9 year old to a bar, or many other places when it’s Tuesday in a pandemic. She fights about everything that is not Roblox so probably not leaving is better. Sitting in my dirty bathtub didn’t sound appealing. Screens are nauseating at this point so that eliminates all things digital. My friends are working. Oh shoot, so am I. AAAAAAHHHHH!

Inspiration, creativity, laughter, excitement… it was all missing for so long. How do you find it again. I felt weak, and couldn’t breathe. That’s when my stubborn brain decided to try being open to finding something, anything to believe in. So I stumbled outside and walked to the park. It was cold and ugly outside. The wind was so harsh it hurt. I looked up. Maybe I could find “God” if I looked in the sky hard enough. I tried to force my third eye open. Scanned the winter clouds for shapes & forms. Nothing. The thought of going back inside to work/mom/chore world was so painful, roaming the park looking for God forever seemed more appealing. Then holy crap, I actually did! Right in front of me there was the most beautiful, giant, old tree, no leaves, just strong, proud branches reaching out to touch the other tree’s branches around her. The non-existent sun actually seemed to be shining brightly in her presence.

For decades she’s stood through all types of unforgiving Midwest weather: frigid winters, hail storms, end of summer droughts. She grew bigger than anything else around, never gave up, didn’t break, and she stood looking proud like a beautiful dancer in the wind. I will remain ever thankful for that tree in the park. Anytime I can’t find a much needed answer I am going to remember Mother Nature. She is my God, and I’m endlessly thankful for all the treasures she selflessly shares with us. Inspiration can be found in each morsel of her creations. All living creatures since the beginning of time have turned to Mother Nature for their medicinal, edible, structural, textile, industrial, literary, mythological, spiritual, inspirational needs and beyond. She still shares all she’s got even after all we have already taken. She’s the top head-of-household provider, an artistic creator, a fierce fighter, an innovative builder. She shelters us so we can grow like a selfless mother to us all.

Lily of the Valley

Description: yearly blooming bulb, old-fashioned perennial, asparagus family

Plant traits: sweet smell, delicate flowers, extremely cold hardy, found in woodlands, shade loving, toxic if ingested

Symbol: happiness (or return of), rebirth, luck, humility, motherhood, May

Uses: give someone you love a bouquet on May 1

Nasturtium

Description: ornamental annual

Plant traits: edible, spicy taste, pollinator friendly

Symbol: optimism, victory, humor, orange flowers = creativity & energy

Uses: culinary

Sweet Pea

Description: annual

Plant traits: beauty, fragrant, flower queen, elegant

Symbol: bliss, pleasure, positive, April

Uses: good omen wedding gift

Chamomile

Description: perennial herb

Plant traits: traffic resistant, aromatic

Symbol: rest, calm, rebirth, moving forward

Uses: anti-oxidant, skin treatment, pain relief, anti-anxiety, +health benefits

I love to grow, nurture, share, inspect, study, and eat plants. They are all awesome. I wish I could be one! But while I’m just a human, I’ll always be excited for spring. This year I will grow a bunch of plants, but I’m going to start with these 4 listed below because they align with a few of the things I want to focus on appreciating, studying, and/or changing in my life. I invite you to join me in watching them as they make their way through their life cycle. We have our own cycles and sometimes when I get stuck somewhere along my journey of cycles I look to my green friends for assistance, and they never let me down.

Thank you for your company this growing season 💚

Much love always,

Maria