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In the depths of despair, I heard these seven words:
"TEND YOUR GARDEN AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER"
Think about it. What does it mean?
Seven words |
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| By: LS Monday January 19, 2009 10:34 am | |
In the depths of despair, I heard these seven words:
"TEND YOUR GARDEN AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER"
Think about it. What does it mean?
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2 Comments
Interesting. I think “Tend your garden” could have several different meanings. Gardens have spiritual connotations–garden of eden, wiccah, etc.–so maybe it means to take care of both your spiritual self and one another. Maybe the two go together in that way.
There is also something deeply comforting in working the soil in a garden, plus it’s great physical exercise. Endorphins that are connected with feelings of well being are connected to physical exercise. Maybe it means to take good physical care of yourself, so that you will be around and feeling well enought to love others.
It might also have a sense that you should take care of your own issues before you go out and tell someone else how to live, sort of like tend your own garden and keep your nosy self out of mine. Maybe we can love others only when we accept them and don’t try to force our ideals on them and stifle who they are and are becoming (think yes on prop h8, for example).
This is a very loaded little sentence!
I think Lillian Hellman and Leonard Bernstein said it well in the finale of Candide, Make Our Garden Grow. Candide sings to Cunegonde: