“And to all those voice of wisdom that have whispered to me along the way, [thank you].”

-Dhyani Ywahoo

When Payton and I moved to our forever home there was two beautiful apple trees. We moved in in the fall when the branches hung heavy with sweet golden apples. Winter followed the Fall and Spring after that. All the while I was dreaming of the fresh apple pies that would make from my two apple trees. Spring also brought a new tractor equipped with a loader bucket and mower for all the tasks our few acre yard would entail. Since I was home the most, the task of mowing fell to me. Something I was excited to do - until on my first time maneuvering through the apple trees the loader bucket sheered one of the trees completely off. I was devastated, but at least I still had one tree to fulfill my apple pie dreams right? Wrong. Fall came and my apple tree that had been loaded the year before only had one measly apple, not even enough to make a pie.

It turns out certain apple trees need a tribe, they need a network, they need another apple tree to support and pollinate and flourish. My apple tree couldn’t self pollinate, it needed another tree to provide new pollen to bring to its stigma. The apple tree did not die without a similar tree, but its full potential couldn’t be reached. So last Spring my lonely apple tree got some friends, 5 more in fact. A little orchard of apple trees, supplying the pollen the others needed. That season brought good weather, better navigation with my loader tractor, and a Fall filled with apple pies.

I too would be lost with out my tribe, the sweet group of people who have whispered little bits of wisdom, encouragement, and reassurance into my ear. Many don’t even know they have played this crucial role for me, many were just setting beautiful examples when I needed them most. I could exist without out them, but to truest flourish I need their sweet wisdom around.

“There have been so many who have shared their wisdom and their knowledge with me. Some of that wisdom has been learned from others, and some of that has been self-taught, and all of it has been profound.”

- Meditations for Women Who Do Too Much

If you have read a certain number of my posts you know I love Dax Shepard’s podcast Armchair Expert and this deep dive with Macklemore is a good example of why. Vulnerability and humans being human.

Another week of waiting out the weather has left time for things like trying out sunsets from the boat and coffee from the deck. The freezing weather at night is keeping me from bumping plants out to the greenhouse so True and I have spent our days moving seedling into larger soil blocks! Enjoying this calm before the storm of late spring!