While gardening the other day, I was struck by how much we need to be simultaneously gentle and creative with plants, just as we must be in life. One of my friends created a compassion garden on her back deck with her daughters. They went to the nursery together, bought a big planter, and selected a palate of flowers. The idea was that they would plant a new flower in the container every time someone did something kind for someone else in the family to demonstrate appreciation. It would act as a wonderful reminder for the whole family to show how compassion grows.
