Find reciprocity
11/7/2021
“In some Native languages, the term for plants translates to ‘those who take care of us.’”
One idea to keep it slow and simple… Find reciprocity
In Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, Robin Wall Kimmerer reminds us that “all thriving is mutual.” As a botanist, poet, and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Kimmerer describes the way humans and plants thrive together when we’re in a relationship of reciprocity.
Reciprocity happens when we freely exchange our gifts with others for mutual benefit. With plants, it means that we tend to them and they tend to us. The same is true for animals and our fellow humans. Fill your yard or balcony with bird food, and you’re rewarded with bird song. Surprise your neighbors with fresh bread or shovelled snow, and you may have an ally when you need one.
Every life has spaces of reciprocity. It may be in your relationships with family, friends, neighbors, pets, your garden or your local park. Those spaces where you turn a nurturing eye tend to return the favor. Where do you find reciprocity in your life? Sometimes, just taking a moment to recognize and appreciate those relationships can fill you up.
And some clickable fun!
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Listen to Robin Wall Kimmerer on the On Being podcast discussing the intelligence of plants.
You know we love a poem. Here’s an Ode to Coffee from Sadhguru.
We're cooking up a new treat for you—Japanese Furoshiki gift wrapping made with hand-dyed cloth. Not familiar with Furoshiki? Check out this article that shows you 6 ways to try it out. (Keep your eye out here for CoffeeSock’s offering, coming soon!)