22 Comments
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Jan 11
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Laura Stone 🏳️‍🌈's avatar

Thank you so much. I needed the reminder that even if I can't make big swings (making my neighbor see the division her politics cause), I don't need to. Small changes just might have longer-lasting effects. Thank you for reading.

Niki Mathias's avatar

Thank you for this pespective!

Laura Stone 🏳️‍🌈's avatar

Thank you for your time!

Kristina Paider's avatar

The post we all need right now. 🩷

Allecia Harley's avatar

Your garden is clearly more than flowers. It's become this gathering place, this excuse for conversation and connection. And those connections matter, even when they feel impossibly small against everything else.

Thank you for sharing this. It's a reminder I needed today.

Laura Stone 🏳️‍🌈's avatar

I needed the reminder, too, that change can also happen with tiny ripples.

Judy McGuire's avatar

I work on my building's garden and every time I'm out, I meet neighbors. Some I recognize, some are new, but overwhelmingly, people are nice. I did have a drunk guy say pervy things about my feet (birkenstocked) but he's probably the only weird thing. Growing something in dirt does ground a lady, especially during such shitty times. Thanks for writing this.

Laura Stone 🏳️‍🌈's avatar

To bastardize a quote from John Goodman in Raising Arizona, "You hear that? We're using metaphors."

Thanks for reading.

Laurie Z's avatar

I don’t think change can also happen with tiny ripples, I think change can ONLY happen in this way.

Recognizing our shared humanity is the only way out of this. No one is coming to save us, we save ourselves and by extension the world by eliminating the causes of division within us.

Beautiful story.

Susan Drouilhet's avatar

So glad to call you friend. Working in my garden, happily thinking of you working in yours, both of us changing ourselves, our streets, our communities, our world one seedling at a time. Keep on keeping on, Laura Stone, gardener of souls. 💖

Laura Stone 🏳️‍🌈's avatar

Just love you, Susan. Mutual feelings, my friend.

Nikki Finlay's avatar

You are changing the world—one seed at a time.

I get lightning bugs too. My backyard fills with them every June.

Natalie Banks-Haupt's avatar

Oof. I think this is where I feel a lot of stress: that helpless, hopeless feeling of watching the deciders do whatever they want despite anyone's actions. However, your post calmed me, validating that it's okay if I focus on my own little starfish right here in my corner of the world.

Laura Stone 🏳️‍🌈's avatar

We’ve been sold a bill of goods that is impossible (in the US): army of one, solo warrior, The Lone Ranger. But it really is as simple as drops in a bucket. I used the picture of lacewings to highlight how small their humble beginnings are, yet they are one of the most voracious hunters of pests in the garden. 🥰

Randi Albertsen's avatar

The world needs more people like you, Laura! Gardening is kind of like Fields of Dreams - if you build it, they will come. My house is on a corner lot, and I get great enjoyment out of chatting with neighbors about the plants in my yard. And I do love when the lightning bugs come out!

Laura Stone 🏳️‍🌈's avatar

Thank you so much, Randi. The sneaky community building of a garden is one of my favorite parts. (My favorite part is the fresh produce and endless bouquets, but the community parts are also nice! Ha.)

Randi Albertsen's avatar

Agreed! ❤️

Anne Lester's avatar

Brought tears to my eyes. and made me happy we ripped out our backyard two years ago and put in a meadow - so many fireflies! And you are making me think about ripping out the front yard too - so we can share.

Laura Stone 🏳️‍🌈's avatar

Oh, thank you so much, Anne. I appreciate you.