This is the first time I’ve ever written a blog. I’m only doing it because there really is a valuable story
to tell about Children’s Garden in Modesto. It’s a story of community. We know the word, we use the word but at Children’s Garden we feel it – COMMUNITY. I will always remember when I first started planting with children, at our first location behind the Pelandale Specialty Care Center in Modesto. One of the participants, a young boy, asked me what community meant. At that moment I felt the weight of the question and the responsibility of my response. I expressed, as best as I could, those many years ago, that community was when people came together to share a common purpose. I told him he was part of our garden community.

Again, just yesterday, a young girl in our garden community stated, while she was planting broccoli seedlings, ‘we are all different, but we are all community’. Such a profound statement from a little person. It stopped me in my tracks and I had to share what she said with all of our families who were planting with us. We laughed and talked about how absolutely boring and annoying it would be if everyone thought and acted like we do! It is true. I’m reminded of the importance of community and valuing the differences within them every single day, at Children’s Garden.

I don’t think you can experience the sheer joy and power of community unless you are in the physical presence of other people. It’s a concept that is tossed around and undervalued, but so worth the work of creating.

We are hungry for togetherness to feed our mental and physical health. I’m excited to see how our Children’s Garden Community evolves and makes where we live, learn, work and play much more meaningful.