Today we spent our free morning working in the yard. All of us. Hannah imitating all our steps. Moving dirt, digging holes, planting herbs. It was humid but the hot midsummer sun was still low behind the trees.
I probably have said it before. What I love most about our life in Minnesota is how hungry it makes us for gardening. When ever I can I start my morning with a walk through our yard. Most of my inspiration comes from these quiet moments in the morning. Sometimes alone, sometimes with my little one:
“Look a caterpillar!” “Can I eat it??” “I want to water the baby plants…” And on it goes.
I will never forget Hannah’s shocked look on her face when I introduced her to a baby plant. It was, when she picked the young green leaves from it. “Aua,” I said, “aua, this is a baby plant!” Hannah looked at me, then at the plant, surprised and pained. She was almost crying. I was surprised as well. It was as I witnessed the very moment when it occurred to my daughter that plants are living beings, too.
Now it was my turn to comfort her, as she was heartbroken over having hurt the young baby plant. I did not quite know what to do and so I did what I have done with her many times before. I sang the healing song to her and the little baby plant:
Heile, heile Segen, morgen gibt es Regen,
übermorgen Sonnenschein,
dann wird Hanna / die Babyblume
wieder heile sein.
(healing, healing blessing, tomorrow it is raining
after tomorrow the sun will shine,
then Hanna / the baby flower will be fine…)
I am sorry I cannot come up with a better translation to make it sing as the German does. Because when I started singing this song to my baby daughter it had quite some side effects. It not only connected me with my childhood but it also offered a healing balm to our weary souls when ever we were singing it to our child.
And it did its magic just back in the garden, too. It consoled my child who was feeling bad for hurting a plant. (Still, we had to sing this song many more times revisiting the baby plant every morning)
I think this healing song and viriditas, the greening life force (Hildegard of Bingen) we ponder when waling and working the gardens are ultimately connected. Both open up us w the deeper layers of our soul and thus are soothing and healing.
So here is my hope and blessing for you for this second half of the week:
May the healing powers
of the greening life
around you
and in you
nourish you
and console you
and heal you
one breath at a time.
Peace and love always, Almut
PS: When have you last sang a children’s healing song to your soul? Do you want to try it?