It started from the most stressing days of my life. The first month when the pandemic started, and total lockdowns in the city was implemented. Schools need to stop and will be continued at home through online. People was so terrified because of the virus. Thus, it was really so terrifying. Parents was so bothered what to do since some businesses and jobs are stopped. Problems starts to aroused, some became anxious and depressed-including me.
As a college student, home schooling was really hard for me. The everyday prepaid load for my internet really worries me, as well as my family. We are not rich, and the everyday means such as food and common necessities is our priority. Aside from the problem of my prepaid load, I had a hard stop adjusting to new normal modes of learning that leads to my anxiety, thus some personal problems added to the negativity that I felt.
Wandering around our small house, I saw one pot of plant that captures my interest. It was a plant with a large green leaves and white flower same to red anthurium. My mom planted that one as a stressed reliever also since she loves plant so much. This plant captures my interest and everyday the feeling of wanting to have more plants makes me starts to collect another one. Day by day my friends gave me 2-3 plants, and I plant it on used plastic containers of water. My neighbors also share their plants to us as well as they guide me one how to plant it properly.
These everyday routines of planting plants excites me that made me forget my problems. It also help me financially since I start selling it. I also discover that plants has a behavior or attitude upon day to day observations. Some plants are too picky with the soil, some has the proper measurement on how deep they should be planted and some are sensitive with the water and sunlight. Some plants also are like humans who wakes up at morning and sleeps at night. Some prays like the calathea or commonly known as prayer plants, some are very sensitive to sunlight like zebrinas and some loves on shady areas like Philodendrons. My favorite plant is begonias since they had different varieties and their flowers are cute.
These plants really healed me day by day. I know that we had different ways to handle stress and anxiety but I also share these experience to my friends and classmates. It doesn't matter that your plant is cheap or expensive, as long as your happy with it. This plant activity is also our bonding as a family whenever we have time. Also, aside from flower planting at home, I also start growing fruit trees in our yard. Today, I had ten seedling bags of rambutan since I love this fruit and last year we also planted mango trees in different varieties since this fruit are loved by many Filipinos.
What I learned about these experience so much is that I had so many things missed in life. The pandemic made me realize to start rebuilding our nature again. When the pandemic is over, I will still continue my plant journey because aside from they are really important but they have a special place in my heart. If I didn't discovered the small plant outside, maybe I am not as happy as today and maybe I was sinking in the river of my sadness and anxiety. To the readers who read this, please do not let your problems eats you. Stand up and look around, start to find interest on things around you. Do not let the sadness jailed you! Take time to read books or whatever that makes you bloom again and will heal you as time will come.
Love, grace.
