By Odette Zouri
“Maître Pangloss to his pupil Candide in 1759: ‘Cultivons notre Jardin.’ ”
Voltaire, Candide ou de l’Optimisme.
When I found myself going downhill with Pink’s 2017 song and question “What about Us” stuck in my head, I finally realized and understood that I have to “let go,” like Pink says in her song “Beautiful Trauma,” released by RCA Records.
So, when people who support asylum seekers in the midcoast area offered plants and space for gardening, it was the perfect timing for me to “let go” of things I cannot control, and “cultivate my own garden.”
Beauty comes from deepest trauma. Flowers need compost and sun. In these times of suffering from the pandemic, and from all the trauma related to Georges Floyd’s murder, let’s use our pain and compassion to build better communities.
Thinking of Pangloss, and how to garden, reminds us that love is the best fertilizer in the world!
