Over the past months I’ve been pre-occupied with community. Do you know your postman, bank teller, gardener, the people that you come in contact with on any typical day? Do you speak to strangers, or are you so caught up in your own thoughts that you forget that others are around you? Have we forgotten that babies need holding and nurturing in order to survive? In fact, we die if we are not touched. Are we neglecting a primary need that exists in all people? We love our iPhones, our tablets, Facebook, and all the great technological advances that have flooded our society. Despite all its wonder, an inherent problem exists with these advances, the lack of BALANCE. Those things that pre-occupy us, make us forget what it’s like to visit a friend, help an elderly person, or just say hello to a passerby. I don’t know about you but I love my human side and I dare say that ignoring our human side can threaten our very existence. While touring with Natalie Cole, I witnessed the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy. Homes were demolished and sadly, people were hurt and killed, but I also saw people reach out to help their neighbors, forgetting about their differences.

My Little Garden is a Practice. Nurturing My Little Garden begins with kindness. Kindness to the guy that pumps gas at Costco who talks way too much, Kindness to the store clerk, Kindness to the cranky librarian, the lady in front of you in line, your family, your friends...EVERYBODY YOU TOUCH. Ahhh there’s that word again, touch. We need it. I’m not saying go and hug strangers, (however my cousin Azure did a short film about just that) You may feel a little silly but start small. Smile a lot today. You’ll be surprised how much sunshine you can create. You’ll probably catch yourself smiling all by yourself for absolutely no reason at all.
Have a great day and go water your little garden.