Watch Out for the Blessings

By Dan Shook, Garden Manager

I started my Saturday morning with a feeling that the day would bring something special. I commented to Kristin that I felt the garden was going to be generous  today. “Watch out for the blessings,” she said.

The garden greeted me with the scent of tea-olive and fallen leaves. The schedule was full today with two buskers (musicians) planned to play in the garden thanks to the Chapman Cultural Center, Kristin’s yoga class, a Qigong group, and several photo shoots. Still the feeling of generosity was draped over my spirit. Volunteers showed up, and I went to work cutting pavers. When I took a break, the garden did what it does so well: teaching lessons. 

When I first became involved with Hatcher Garden, I noticed how diverse the visitors were that strolled through the garden, and I thought that this was a unique place even then. Now in a world wounded by so much and desperately needing healing in so many ways, this same feeling returned. Music sounded in the background and in one visual frame I saw young volunteers, a photographer, a bride wafting across the parking lot, an older gentleman carrying a book, a dutiful man waiting on his fiancé to exit the restroom, and two dogs being walked toward the entrance. 

Recently, I was presented a small book published in 1911 titled Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Comstock. It comes in volumes, I learned, but one small section caught my eye - When to Give a Lesson.  Hatcher Garden gave me a lesson. It was simple in principle but difficult in practice…at least for our world today. “I am still a place for everyone to pull some order out of chaos, some healing out of woundedness.” 

If you are reading this, you support this wonderful garden. Be confident that the garden is always generous, but today…well, it taught a lesson.