The tree is up, the mantle is decorated, and Christmas lights shine inside and
outside of the little house on a big hill.
Packages are in the mail and under the tree. There are even a few freshly-baked
cookies in the kitchen. I‘m not completely done, but I’m very close.
I have taken extra care this year to spend time with friends, listen to live holiday
music, and enjoy the days of December. It’s hard, life is busy.
That is why this holiday season, with the shopping, wrapping, and rushing like
crazed elves, I am taking special care to note the kindness that is all around me.
Close to home, this begins with a neighbor shoveling my snow on a chilly evening
and friends who helped me do a last-minute garden cleanup. I’m grateful for the
dentist who was open on a snowy day.
I see toy drives, community dinners, and food pantries working overtime to help
others celebrate the holidays.
Valley Gardens and the West Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association teamed up
with the Charleston Catholic Middle School girls’ basketball team and planted 800
tulip bulbs in the gardens of the YWCA Sojourner’s Homeless Shelter for Women
and Families.
“I’m incredibly proud of our girls,” said CCMS Coach Keshia Butler. “Basketball
teaches teamwork on the court, but projects like this show how powerful that
teamwork can be off the court. This project gives our players a chance to serve
others, show compassion, and understand the impact they can have in our
community.”
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The bulbs were donated by Valley Gardens in Charleston and offer the finishing
touch on landscape restoration work recently completed at Sojourner’s. Led by
Jason Testman, landscape architect with Valley Gardens and a board member of
the West Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association (WVNLA), crews repaired and
restored pavers originally installed nearly 20 years ago. The original project
included a landscaped outdoor patio and seating, large playground, paved
courtyard, and landscaping that was fully funded by WVNLA.
This project shows how a community comes together to support each other. The
Kanawha County Master Gardeners will continue to help with landscape
maintenance. By sharing resources and skills, everyone wins.
It also reminds me of the quote “All flourishing is mutual.” This appears on the
back cover of a favorite book, The Serviceberry, Abundance and Reciprocity in the
Natural World, authored by Robin Wall Kimmerer. This book discusses the
reciprocity of nature and how exchanging what we have with others leads to
sustainability.
An example is the serviceberry tree, which shares its juicy berries with humans,
birds, and other animals that feast on the fruits of the tree. Then give back
through the spreading of seeds.
Braiding Sweetgrass, Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and Teaching of
Plants is by the same author. This book is a mix of the study of plants, history,
and Native American philosophy. Reading this one requires my full attention
because I don’t want to miss the details the author is sharing and teaching me as
a reader and a student of nature.
Both of these books were gifts. My friends know me. Books, especially books
about nature, gardening, and dogs, are a win every time. A clever mystery is also
a good bet.
As we all finish our wrapping, baking, and tidying up around the house, let’s still
make time to seek out moments of joy that you can gift to yourself and to others.