Note: I wrote the story below last year before we started the blog. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately and wanted to share. I’ve found mindfulness to be a key component to battling anxiety and depression and I hope this helps someone out there.
Last Christmas Eve we found out my wife Carrie was pregnant. Life couldn’t have been better. 14 days later I agonized in the hospital waiting room as the love of my life was rushed into emergency surgery. She was bleeding out internally from a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. The next 30 minutes were the most excruciating moments of my life.
Carrie’s life was saved but the baby was lost. We were also told that the chances of Carrie ever being pregnant again had decreased significantly. However, I had faced the very real prospect of losing my wife and all I could think about was what life would have been like had she not made it. For me, this was a seismic moment and one that pushed me towards a fundamentally different way of viewing the world. What became even more clear to me then was that I had absolutely no control and that the things you love most can be taken away in a moment. Too much of my time had been spent living in fear and I didn’t want to do that anymore.
This was the beginning of my journey towards the pursuit of being more mindful. Instead of constantly worrying about the future or kicking myself over mistakes in the past, I force myself to think about the here and now and appreciate the moment. This has turned out to be one of the most difficult challenges I’ve had to overcome. I’m wired to analyze risks. My mind likes to accumulate every possible outcome of each scenario I face in my life and build a nice little video package of each potential result and pop them into my head randomly. It’s made me an incredible risk analyzer but it’s contributed to crippling bouts of anxiety and depression. I have to make a concerted effort to shut it off and focus on what’s in front of me.
Three months after all of this we received the news we weren’t sure we’d ever hear again: Our prayers were answered and we were going to have another child! For the old me the next 9 months would have been filled with worry and fear. This time I approached it differently. I was tested early when the doctors saw an abnormality on an ultrasound that indicated a possible cyst in the brain (a month later everything ended up being fine). Instead of panicking and spending 6 hours googling so I could know all about it, I watched my daughters play and thought about how blessed I am to have them. I focused on the here and now instead of the future.
I share all this because I hope it will help others realize the benefits I’ve found from being more mindful and appreciative. I have a long way to go and still struggle with anxious thoughts but I’ve found that forcing myself to focus on and appreciate the here and now is the key to minimizing them. Even when things seem the darkest, there’s beauty all around if you choose to see it. As for this current moment, I’m watching my newborn son sleep on his momma and I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.
Dale Spoonemore is the visionary co-founder of “From Seed to Spoon,” a groundbreaking platform that has revolutionized the way individuals approach gardening. His journey from a novice gardener to a leading advocate for sustainable living and mental wellness through gardening is a source of inspiration to many. Dale’s personal transformation and dedication to making gardening accessible and enjoyable have propelled “From Seed to Spoon” to become a vital tool for gardeners of all skill levels.
Dale’s venture into gardening began as a personal quest to improve his family’s health and well-being. Faced with the challenges of learning how to garden without prior experience, Dale turned his journey into an opportunity to simplify gardening for others. He leveraged his background in technology to develop the “From Seed to Spoon” app, which guides users through the process of starting their own gardens with ease. The app covers everything from selecting the right plants for your region to tracking your garden’s progress.
Beyond the app, Dale’s contributions to the blog reflect his deep understanding of gardening, his commitment to organic practices, and his belief in the therapeutic benefits of connecting with nature. His posts are rich with practical advice, personal anecdotes, and a clear vision for a healthier world through gardening. Dale often shares innovative gardening techniques, ways to incorporate technology into gardening, and tips for growing a wide variety of plants.
Dale’s passion for gardening is matched by his advocacy for mental health. He openly discusses how gardening has been a crucial part of his own mental health journey, offering a powerful testament to the restorative and calming effects of nurturing plants. Through his work, Dale aims to inspire others to discover gardening as a pathway to physical and mental health, sustainability, and a deeper connection with the environment.
As a key voice on the seedtospoon.net blog, Dale Spoonemore continues to educate, inspire, and empower individuals around the globe to start their own gardening adventures. His story is not just about planting seeds in the ground; it’s about planting seeds of change in communities, encouraging a shift towards more sustainable living practices, and fostering a global movement of wellness through gardening.
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