Growing up, I had a dream to get married, have a large family, live on a property, grow my own food and basically be as self-sufficient as I could possibly be. I didn't want to have to rely on other people any more than I absolutely had to. Now that I'm an adult, my goals have changed and are continuing to change.
Lately, I've been thinking about this idea of self-sufficiency. Is it really something to aspire to? We live in an integrated society, but is that a good thing or a bad thing? We have farmers, manufacturers, shops, cleaners, hospitals, schools, etc. Maybe being part of a wider community is a good thing. It enables everyone to focus on developing and utilising their unique skills. I'm grateful for all the members of my community. At the moment, I am particularly grateful for the people who repair roads and remove rubbish.
The other morning I went for a walk. I have a policy for my walks - walk mindfully. That means not listening to any music or podcasts or stories. It means immersing myself in my environment and actively seeking to be aware of all my surroundings through my senses. As I walked this morning, I was noticing that the new leaves on the hedges that I was passing were a lighter shade of green than the older leaves. These thoughts transitioned into thinking about how well the plants survived the flood. The grass didn't bat an eyelid after being submerged under metres of flood water. The plants don't worry about what is happening around them, they just keep on living as best they can. They can't do this on their own however. They need some water at least, and sunshine, and carbon dioxide. They rely on other things. Nature is not self-sufficient. The different elements of nature rely on one another for the things that they need. They give what they can and they take what they need.
