Now I remember...
Sometimes when I’m journaling, I’m reminded of what I already know.
Yesterday I spent the morning journaling in the sunshine. In spring and summer, the sun rises directly in front of the window facing my couch where I journal. It’s so glorious! Especially on clear days when the world is bright and beautiful.
The sun hit the leaves of this kangaroo paw fern that I have in the corner of my living room and reminded me that it could do with being transplanted. So I got up and checked the basement to see if I had a pot big enough. (I didn’t.)
Then I noticed this Australian bottle tree that we got a few years ago and tend to ignore. It’s not looking so well, so I opened the Google and read (again) about plant care. The watering directions led me to worry that when I repotted it last, I put it in a pot that’s way too big and it could do with being repotted into a pot that’s more snug of a fit so I can water it properly. So I did that. (Fortunately l DID have the right size pot in the basement…)
Then I got started thinking about what I’m going to do in my gardens this year. You know, because I mostly neglected my gardens after July last summer, and they’re a mess. Plus I also started boatloads of flowers from seed and will need a place to put them. So I remembered that last year I bought two raised bed frames but never put them together, and I decided this would be the day I pull them out and put them together.
Then I started thinking about my window boxes. Part of the reason I fell in love with my house was that it had the most darling window boxes. And last year I just never got around to planting them. (A travesty, I know!) I was at Costco on Saturday and brought home some bright pink geraniums and yellow begonias, thinking they’d be lovely in the boxes. Except I can’t put them out until it gets warmer overnight, so it’ll be a bunch of weeks more at the earliest.
So what would I do with my begonias and geraniums until then? The begonias are in a hanging basket but I don’t have hooks in my house. Maybe I should get some…but where would I put them? I could put one in this little nook in my bedroom but it’s a north facing window so it doesn’t get much sun. So, naturally, that led me down a rabbit hole of plants that thrive in north facing windows.
I decided to move some heartleaf philodendron cuttings to the bookshelf in that nook, figuring that they’re rooting in water so I don’t have to remember to water them.
What was the thing journaling reminded me of? As I took this meandering journey - in my journal, down in my basement, on my phone, and back again - this is what came to mind:
It’s amazing how simply thinking about plants and gardening
can help me feel so good.
Duh.
I KNOW this.
But after a long winter, it’s easy to forget. Not only does it make me feel good, it regulates my nervous system.
I’ve been spending a lot of time getting to understand my nervous system, and putting my hands in the dirt, caring for my houseplants, watering and saying hello to my baby seedlings as I plug in the grow lights, are some of the ways I can always count on to keep my nervous system regulated.
It’s amazing how easy it is to forget all kinds of important things - like what my gifts and strengths are, what I’ve achieved, how magical I am. And I’m so grateful that my journaling can always remind me.
And, in case you’re curious about whether I actually repotted my kangaroo paw fern, I did! I took a trip to Ocean State Job Lots to get a new pot. And I got distracted on the way in by the selection of cold-hardy pansies out front and remembered that my original plan for my window boxes was to fill them with yellow and purple pansies. So I bought some and a bag of soil and got my window boxes all straight when I got home. I also repotted the fern. And then pulled some weeds in my front garden beds and dug out a couple of yucca plants that just never did it for us. And then I pulled out one of the raised bed frames and put it together and while I was out there doing it, it started to rain and it was the most gorgeous, sunny, gentle kind of rain where I hoped I’d see a rainbow, but didn’t. But that’s okay. I’m so grateful to remember the joy of putting my hands in the dirt!
When was the last time your journaling helped you remember something important?
Journal Prompts
Use these prompts as written or as inspiration to uncover what you need in your life this week. And know that I’m always here to support you and answer questions you have along the way!
What was something your journal helped you remember?
How does it feel in your body when you remember something that you had forgotten that you knew?
What tools in your self-care toolbox have you forgotten you have?
What small action can you take to bring great joy into your life?
Journaling Fun and Support
Wanna come journal with me? Our Monthly Journaling Mini-Retreat is next Wednesday, April 17 at 7:30pm Eastern. Register for free here.
Happy Journaling!
I spent my weekend planning our raised bed that holds herbs, and cut off some pieces of my pothos to create new plants. It was a meditation in itself and so calming. I'm glad you got some of your plant projects done!