Why I Planted a Garden in Winter?

'Why I planted a garden in winter?' was written exactly one year ago! And I still stand by it!

Because there are two gifts that we should give our children- one is roots and the other is wings!
( found this quote on Pinterest)

The world as we know it came to an end with Trumps win. An Axe stands poised to eliminate climate and environmental policies implemented in the last 2 decades. With the Polar vortex this season - there isn't a dearth of smug skeptics taunting global warming. Purge lists for anyone and everyone who has worked or even attended climate change initiatives are underway. Scientists around the globe are scrambling to ' copy' existing research for fear that it will soon disappear. But through this political upheaval,me, a stay at home immigrant mom ,am left with a heartbreaking loss for not protecting my daughters future. Because let's be clear that the world we wanted for our children has been snatched from us . The cold , damp, rainy weather abets my helplessness. At the first opportunity- I gather my tools and start work in my garden. For a wounded soul there is nothing more healing than the magic combo of water, soil and seeds./seedlings. I huff and puff as I pull out the weeds - but my hands are cold , my face a little numb from the biting wind. As I am transplanting seedlings from my pre -election hopeful days , an old ,kindly neighbor asks me , " Isn't it a little late in the season my dear? " I smile at her, but continue pulling out the weeds. She is right and she means well. She smiles indulgently and walks away. I call after her,

"It's my garden of resilience.." She pauses and turns around. (Only in Berkeley can you have these kinds of conversations and neighbors who understand the socio- political context of what you mean. ) A dramatic stage beat passes - there are no questions , no explanations- she and I both digest what I said. She turns to walk away but quips, "Well, we definitely need more resilience gardens then."  Her understanding is gratifying and a balm for my restlessness.
In the coming years I am not sure if my family will live in this house , in Berkeley or even in this country. But I still wanted to plant the garden. It's a symbol of what immigrants have done in this country. It's a symbol of how angst and helplessness can be converted into a positive force. It's my path to teach my daughter to nurture life .
More than ever today we need to teach our children the power of nurturing, and the power of resilience in face of unwarranted biases, hatred and divisiveness.
And that's why I planted a garden in winter.
If you agree , plant something ,somewhere. The planet is going to need as much help as it can get. Plant your own resilience garden .