Blooming Where Planted

Landscaping makes me feel guiltyI’m sensitive to all the life that’s been pulled out of its natural habitatTo be organized to please somebody, to look a certain way, even perform a functionIt is rare that i actually sense a plant is really unhappy with its locationThey’re so good at blooming where they’re plantedBut some of my closest friends have been treesAnd one of the things I shared with those trees felt like a certain lonelinessNot that they couldn’t be themselves out there on their own - they wereBut there may have been a biological preference for community these trees never got the chance to knowScience shows trees know their kinBut a lone tree in a broad meadow can only know its kin remotelyCan’t feel it the same way as sharing direct nutrientsThere’s such a nice satisfaction in sharing with those we loveMany of us would like to do it more often, but aren’t quite set up for itHow many of us are living outside of our biologically encoded expectations of communityAnd, the questions I always ask myself when I get that uncomfortable feeling around landscapingAre “what is my true, natural habitat? Does it exist? Could I even go there if I knew where it was?”I’ve yet to come up with a satisfying answerBut it seems to swirl me around a center of kinship, community, and place I find elusiveThis correlates with my conflict about zoosWe went to a wonderful zoo on Saturday, and learned a ton about their admirable conservation effortsBut I still struggle watching an eagle or a jaguar in an enclosure.These beings have hundreds-of-mile territoriesAnd while not having to worry about the next meal takes away much of the struggle for survivalFreedom feels like its own reward, and without it, it’s hard to quantify the harmI imagine different species, and different individuals, have more resilienceThere were a bunch of wallaby’s that looked clinically depressed.When instinct butts up against circumstances, or in this case protective netting, it’s hard to know how to thriveBut the simple fact is: human, animal or plantWe don’t always get to pick our circumstances.But, we are wired to live, to grow, and to adaptMy discomfort with constructed environments is itself a constructSetting acceptable conditions for thrivingWhen life demonstrates remarkable adaptability and innovationI want to be respectful and loving towards all of life, and not interfere for my own amusement or benefitBut mostly I want to take nature’s reliable exampleI want to bloom here, where I amEvery environment is divineAnd I do not need to know the cosmic purpose of my being at this place at this timeBut my flourishing here is a prayer of thanksI would very much like to feel and offer. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fallingtenderly.substack.com