Repotting

Many years ago, a roommate of mine purchased a small houseplant for their room - an attempt to ward off winter blues by inviting some life into the space. Nothing fancy, just the kind of thing you might find in the sale section at the hardware store, one last ditch effort to have it move before it ends up in the dumpster. This particular plant did escape that fate, only to be left unwatered in a corner. Like many getting into houseplants for the first time, intentions were good but follow through was lacking. (Relatable, given the nature of winter blues.)

Years passed, the roommate moved on, but the plant remained with me. I dutifully watered it along with the rest of my collection, but otherwise didn't pay it much mind. All the while it remained spindly, and almost never put out a new leaf.

One spring, while repotting several other plants, I finally gave it the attention it deserved - a roomier pot, some fresh soil, and a bit of compost. Today that plant is quadruple the size and thriving. In fact, it's almost ready for a new pot.

Sometimes healing is like this - a sudden shift after a long fallow period. Agency expands where before there was constriction.

There's so much we can't control when it comes to our health. Our bodies are not objects to be manipulated and controlled into some mythical level of perfection via personal optimization, as the Wellness industry might suggest. Systemic oppression, climate collapse, chronic stress, and many other factors impact our health in ways that can't be denied.

While they can't necessarily change our environment, herbs can be the compost that the body needs, the little bit of breathing room afforded by a pot upgrade. They support us physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and I've seen how transformative that can be - enough so for us to sometimes take on new shape, to maybe sprout a new leaf or two.