Page 40 - WTP Vol.X#1

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“In the Garden at Chislehurst
started with my navigation
through 2020 when Covid-19 came
into our world. My day job is as a nanny, and by entering the world
of a four-year-old, I was able to escape the pan- demic and find a beautiful space in the garden,
a reminder that beauty is always here for us, no matter what unfortunate circumstance is around
us. It raises the question of do we believe, as Einstein asked, ‘Is the universe a friendly place?’ I had forgotten that it was. The news was telling me everyday that it wasn’t. How close could I get to another human? Would this child understand why I was masked, why he couldn’t see my smile, why we couldn’t hug?
“Because of the pandemic, the child’s pre-school shut down. I went from working part-time to full- time. Our days were set up before the pandemic and our time never included time in the garden. But because of the longer days and the curiosity of a child, I was led into a world of order and harmony, sunshine and flowers. As the child played in the dirt and pretended to make berry pie, I looked up from my low vantage point and saw these dracaenas; I captured the bounty of life above me.”
Laurie FreitaG