Singing together is beautiful, messy & transformational magic! We often sing this song as a call & response anthem in our Gift of Seed Gatherings, affirming that practice is fun, challenging and opens possibility, especially shared in community. Friends, as we practice giving & receiving so differently than most of our culture and families of origin, thank you for trusting your voice and being open to possibilities 💛
“There are so many ways to say thank you!”
she exclaimed, feet already running.
May I tell you?
I brought hundreds of seeds and gorgeous transplants to share with hundreds of students at our local elementary school! As cardinals sang high in the walnut branches, class after class came out to join me in the grass beyond the playground:
Encircled by hundreds of tomatoes, peppers and ground cherries, we crouched low as we embodied a seed in winter, slowly rising and shaking our shoulders as our hard seed coats loosened with spring softening winter’s frozen earth around us. As we felt our roots growing deep, held always by the earth and surrounded by roots, rocks and countless beings in community, we sent our arms high to the sky, able to change and grow our gifts like leaves wide.
Next we circled ‘round a long table of seeds, thanking the seeds for their many gifts:
“Thank you for breakfast, seeds.”
“Thank you for making my mama happy, seeds.”
“Thank you for making oxygen and a beautiful world, seeds.”
Then, the Seed Feast!
Three courses, with plenty of pause between bites, with three invitations to receive the gift of seeds:
First, look at the seeds spread before you.
What will you receive as a gift for the pollinators?
Second, find a partner:
Take turns gifting each other a seed that is meaningful to you and share why.
Third, surely you have a friend who loves to garden that isn’t here?
Receive a gift of seed to gift your friend!
Now for the hard work:
Are these seeds mine to give you? Heads shake and nod.
Are these seeds yours to receive? Heads shake and nod.
Slowly, gently, I offer:
What is mine to give is my
responsibility to share the best of what I have
with everyone I can…
…and perhaps what is yours to receive
is this responsibility, too.
Standing in a circle with three precious seed packets in our hands, we chose one that we will courageously share, passing this packet to our neighbor on the right, again and again, as we sing this song by Debbie Nargi-Brown:
Be open
for something wonderful to happen
Be open
to the possibility
aye-aaaaaaae aye-aaaaaaae aye-aaaaaaae!
As we finish the song, everyone without a packet gently raises their hand. Everyone with multiple packets comes to share their abundance with those with less because:
there is no shame
in some of us having more than others…
there is no shame
in some of us having less…
perhaps the shame arrives
when we don’t notice and take action
caring for our neighbors as ourselves.
And now for the Transplant Feast!
Let’s practice trusting
in our bodies and in our communities:
Needs are gifts!
Rather than choosing our own transplants, each student practiced gifting each other transplants.
Each student would ask a friend to chose a gorgeous transplant for them, who then would pick out the very most gorgeous plant of the variety they loved and together:
we’re learning that we can express our needs
trusting that our needs can be met
by people who care about us, noticing
both giver and receiver give and receive so much.
Finally, I ask
how we say thank you for such gifts?
“Cupcakes!”
“A hug!”
“Say I love youuuuuu!”
As their cascade of absolutely precious reflections quieted, I shared:
Robin Wall Kimmerer, and so many indigenous grandmothers, invite us to remember:
gifts are not free
they come with a sacred responsibility:
To thank the giver, yes.
And grow and give our gifts, expanding the circle of care.
Again I asked, how might we say thank you, by giving a gift?
“Plant a garden with friends!”
“Make cookies to share!”
“Pick up that trash!”
and with that, she took off toward a soda can on the edge of the lawn, exclaiming:
“There are so many ways to say thank you!”
Yes, for all the ways my heart breaks within fascism, patriarchy and empire collapse, these seeds, plants and students nourish my imagination that trusts, so deeply:
We can grow.
We can change.
We don’t wait for anyone else to notice:
We say and live thank you.
We are the seeds.
And now for three invitations:
Would you love grow gift culture with us across so many communities, young and old, near and far?
First:
Invite us to join your community in classrooms, grange halls and beyond: Let’s cultivate gift culture together! We’re beginning to plan next winter and spring now, so don’t be shy, take a peek at this blog and send me an email 💛
Second:
We vision a world where we all are ‘sustained’ rather than ‘paid,’ as our beloved Friend Adam Wilson so bravely articulates…
…and if you’d love to sustain our lives more directly with (y)our relational, material and financial gifts, we’re so honored to receive and amplify your gifts, Friends:
Third:
Join us here on the farm!
In addition to so many abundance sharing gatherings this summer, we’ll continue our deliciously delightful Work Parties: Becoming Good Soil Together. Hop on our events page to explore and see you soon, Friends!
Thank You
in your gardens and beyond:
You embody the abundance and care
we all hunger for.
We are becoming good soil and good ancestors together.
Sow Seeds & Sing Songs,
& the Many Possibilities of Fruition
