How a Garden Eased Post Traumatic Stress

I went for a Harley ride today to clear my head and sharpen my mind.

As I rode, a quick thought passed through my consciousness. A wise rider was quoted as having said, “As a chef, I’m artistic because I create, as a motorcyclist I find the peace of mind, to create.”

The principle he is stating is a sound one, and it doesn’t have to be a motorcycle that helps you create. In fact it is the simple joy found from doing something that you really love that gives you the creativity, or impetuous, to be creative, if you will.

I know of a Vietnam vet who was raised in the “Barrio” had his share of gang fights and jail time, and since his return from Vietnam continued posttraumatic stress syndrome, which he still tries to suppress with alcohol and other soft drugs, and, as much as he hated to admit it, he felt angry and guilty all the time.

I was privileged when he shared with me the circumstances that created his posttraumatic stress syndrome, and, as a result, I fully understood why he felt as he did.

A little later, I asked him what he really wanted to do that would make him relaxed and happy. He responded with “Gardening!”

A simple, flat out statement of what he knew would make him happy. He also knew that if his “Barrio buddies” saw him gardening, that he would become the object of some mild ridicule, which, he said, he really didn’t need. (as it would draw unnecessary attention to himself and he likes to be unnoticed.)

“Why not buy a pot, some soil and some seeds, plant the seeds in the soil, water them, see what happens, and go from there?”

To his surprise he did just that. He planted, watered and nurtured the seeds until flowers finally appeared. He bought another pot, as his enthusiasm for his accomplishment was extremely apparent, planted another seed with similar results.
The, he purchased a windowsill size flowerbed, which he initially kept inside so as not to be seen by his friends, and, planted more seeds.

His small gardening successes began to create strong feelings of success happiness and prosperity within him, and he found that the time or desire to use drugs and alcohol was easing. He was sleeping better at night and, to his surprise, was having few, if any repercussions of his posttraumatic stress syndrome. He looks and he says he feels more relaxed and happy than he has been in a while.

In fact, his passion for gardening began to outweigh his concern for what others may say or think, even though most had already noticed the changes in his personality, all for the better.

He moved his plants outside and began to plant more. He created a small garden that became his garden of tranquility, to him, a place of quiet, serenity and creativity.

But, its not quiet in the way you or I understand quiet to be, as, there are noises all around, the sound of traffic in the distance, the sound of a bird, perhaps a dog barking, or a blend of soft voices, a distant television, the everyday hum of city life.

Somewhere within these sounds was, and still is a key. A single point where, he began to visualize what it takes for him to create success, happiness and prosperity for himself and his family.

He came to an understanding that it all comes from within. To picture what it takes, to picture what he wanted and to create it.

He also discovered, that even though their financial condition was as it was before he began his gardening, his attitude to his situation had changed dramatically.

These discoveries grew within him as he learned to focus and visualize what he wanted to do, to create if you will, and he simply did it.

He says, ”I put on my big hat, take a beer with me and go out into my yard and start to get my hands dirty.

I have my hands in the soil, and with that, a sense of doing takes a hold. As I water, I am giving one of the basics of life and these plants are dependent upon me to do that for them.

I grew them from seeds, and helped them to grow roots, to take a firm hold, and then, to watch them bloom and to produce a seemingly endless variety of colors.”

“Seeing the results of what the seeds, the soil and the water combined were able to create, gives me a strong sense of accomplishment, and, that is a feeling that I had not had in a long while. “

Well, there you have it!