In 2022, I didn’t have much time to spend in my makeshift, 4’ by 8’ raised garden bed. We had a number of trips back to Ohio, so instead of putting out tomatoes, zucchini, and other plants that would probably die in the Southern California sun while I was away, I focused on the soil. I began directly composting my coffee grounds, tea leaves, and veggie scraps into the dirt of my raised bed. It gave me satisfaction to dig around in the dirt and see it transforming into dark, rich earth.

We can also look at the new year this way, too. During 2022, you may have felt some lingering weariness from the ongoing pandemic, and sometimes it may have seemed as if we were taking two steps backward for every three steps forward. Rather than allowing discouragement to have a heyday, we could look back at 2022 as an opportunity to “compost” our lives. Just like my garden bed, progress was being made underground, where I might not readily notice. But I know that holding close acts of kindness, gentleness, and love can be similar to burying those apple peelings and Brussels sprout trimmings. I know that looking for joy means that I will find it, even in the darkest places. Focusing on the best of 2022 creates the conditions for growth in 2023, and I predict the harvest will be a good one this year.