The news coming out of Afghanistan these days is bad. Once again, headline-making violence is dominating. Women are worried. Everyone is worried.
Well, not everyone.
In the Garden of Flowers, 10 small children come to their new school every day to bask in the warm atmosphere, protected from all the ridiculous destructive actions taken by adults out there. And on one particular day last week, they were very busy doing one of the most miraculous things humans do: planting seeds.
Nik Mohammad brought ten big clay pots, and the children filled them with dirt from the dusty yard. Then they took the sunflower seeds that Razia and Fatima gave them, and learned how to plant and water their seeds. Even Khala Najeeba the cook helped.
The magic begins! While they are waiting for their seeds to wake up, the children will paint their pots to make them colorful and lively. Then…one day, the seeds will sprout just as we see the children and their inner natures and lives unfolding in front of us daily.
Seeing these pictures of the children with their hands in the dirt and sharing a communal experience of supporting life is a powerful reminder for us all. And while the ‘soil’ in which these children’s lives have been planted may not be very fertile, we must do all that we can to help them grow to their best inherent natures.
To be honest, while we can all recognize what a wonderful experience planting seeds is for the children, it must have also been very soothing for the adults too, to have their hands in the cool earth and perhaps have some moments of feeling grounded and peaceful in the company of seeds and children and each other.
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