to lay base

“Precious seeds must be sown in fertile soil,
allowed to rest in a dormant state, and guarded by responsible gardeners
for them to germinate in the right conditions, blossoming into their finest.”

By Heera Alaya

January 1st, 2021

Your foundation is not about what is visible to others; instead, your invisible foundation, which is created by planting seeds, holds the architectural references of your inner world. The gift of seeds, each carrying a unique value, is naturally handed down; some high-nutrient, which you should carefully preserve, and others unsound, which you must expediently eliminate. The seeds that best represent your core will be dormant, as it is for you to conscientiously fuel your seeds of authenticity.

A principal component of your foundation is soil. High-nutrient soil and plentiful water give life to nature. Similarly, generous sprinklings of humility and gratitude will sustain your eco-system; these sterling qualities are conduits connecting essential pathways. Furthermore, since nothing of value grows in hardened soil, aerate your garden with sensitivity; this form of oxygen will hold nutrients, facilitate metabolism, and, more importantly, accelerate the growth of your intellect. Sensitivity and intellect might appear incongruous, but the fact is the former is the soil that gives birth to the latter.

“If you are creating something beautiful, there might be hurdles, and postponements,
but know there is a reason…keep the faith. You have already created it.”
—Mencius, a Chinese philosopher

The ceaseless waiting phase—from seeds germinating into young seedlings to growing into plants—will teach you patience, reminding you that your garden is about your inner creation, not outward display. And the long hours immersed in tending your garden will compel you to explore your inner self, developing a deeper appreciation for a gardener’s solitude.

Initially, when you start planting your seeds, each element might appear to be devoid of relation, but in time, your garden will begin to bloom with an unwritten understanding of how to integrate—from the movement of rebelling roses to the spreading of plumped-up moss, and the draping of honeysuckle tendrils. Serendipitously each plant will find the right crook to wind over, bark to rest on and bush to slip under, building on their respective characteristics, making you incrementally cherish the uniqueness of your life.

Your garden—an overflowing bouquet of plush petals, vibrant evergreens and pearlescent leaves—will stir your sensibilities to garden with a sustained focus, aiding you in creating a hospitable framework that doubles up as a tranquil environment for nature’s creatures. Steadily, your bountiful curated garden will come to play host to a multitude of magical creatures—wiggling worms, boisterous birds, diving dragonflies, hopping hares, chirping crickets, bumbling bees, frumpy frogs, bashful butterflies and crawling caterpillars, each uncomplicated creature communicating in a unique language.

Amid precious creatures, you will learn that the industrious collaboration within nature transcends their appearances—nature’s creatures infinite knowledge is woven into the framework of their life. For instance, when the chorus of distant migratory birds emerges from behind fluffy clouds, capturing your attention, consider their arrival in your garden as a seal of approval—migratory birds seek out healthy ecological conditions (devoid of pollutants) with abundant nutrients. On their way forward, these visiting professors—migratory birds—will leave you with gifts of resilience and leadership. Contrary to birds that glide elegantly, carpenter bees zoom around with their drills, boring holes into soft wood. However, this destructive side of shiny black and (mostly) yellow bees is balanced by constructive contribution—carpenter bees are pollinators.

Much like nature’s creatures, each natural beauty in your garden, with its untamed silhouettes and accessible qualities, will afford you the best education. The solitary blooming flower amid flowering clusters will instruct you to hold your own in a crowd. At other times, a punch of pinkish-purple buds will force you to shift your eyes and learn of their colour, fuchsia, named after the German botanist Leonhart Fuchs. Spring explorations will lead you to intriguing verdigris agaric mushrooms, piquing your curiosity to learn about the formation of verdigris patina. In this manner, your earliest education will come from embracing the natural fluidity of nature, which is made possible by calibrating your childhood foundation to receive buds of education.

And as you quench your thirst for knowledge, you will continue to think and link. On days when you stroll through your garden to a lively symphony of tricking water, crunching pebbles, ribbiting frogs and whispering woods, you will come to discover that though nature and magical creatures appear independent, they are emphatically interdependent, similar to our qualities that form the warp and weft of our foundation. With each realisation, the reciprocity between you and the garden will become apparent—the tender seeds you once gently tended have now taken on the form of an intimate network of valuable qualities that willingly parent.

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying
to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American philosopher and poet

You alone can erect your foundation on architectural integrity. So don’t ever seek approval; instead, let the validation come from the wisdom you gain, the contentment you feel, and your purpose. Simultaneously, strive to look beyond the apparent and think unorthodoxly while remaining steadfast to convictions. When you unfailingly turn the sails of your life toward your moral purpose, you will discover the oceanic power of principles and values.

Ultimately, the essence of your life journey must give visibility to evoke strength in the less privileged, and the architectural integrity of your foundation—and not yet another PR [public relations] manufactured foundation—should translate into a nutritious foundation for a multitude of vulnerable seedlings.

From seed to sapling and bud to bloom, stand stately as a gratified gardener.