5 Life-Lessons I Learned from having House Plants
Last year I bought house plants to brighten up my living space. Having house plants definitely makes a living space warmer and more homey. But through having house plants, I also learned a few things about life.
Growth and Change are often subtle:
I remember watching my plants everyday and not noticing the ways they were growing or changing. I always wondered if I was doing something wrong. But over the next few months, I started to see new leaves and the length of my pothos growing longer and longer.
And I think that personal growth or just change in general can often feel a lot like waiting to see the changes in plant growth. Change is often subtle from day to day and we don’t always notice things around us or ourselves growing. But as time passes, and we look back, we notice all the new things that weren’t there before. We realize, then, that so much has grown and changed—and it’s beautiful.
Just because you can’t see growth or change right away, doesn’t mean it’s not happening.
Need a good environment:
Plants need water and light. If you don’t give them enough water (or too much) they can die. If you don’t give them the right amount of light (whether partially or full) they can die. I make sure they’re fed appropriately so that they can grow accordingly.
Much like humans—in an environment where we are fed good things, we will thrive. In an environment where we are fed bad things, we can fail. This environment is often created by the people we surround ourselves with.
Are we surrounded by community or people who cultivates a safe environment for us. In additional to that, are we also cultivating an environment for those around us so that they, too, can thrive and grow?
Every plant is different:
My pothos are different from my fig which are different from my spider plants. They all require different water levels and sun light exposure. I have to tend to each differently. Which reminds me a lot of the love languages. If someone’s love language is gift and I offer them words of affirmation—they may know my love but they may not feel as loved. People are different and to love people well, we have to learn the language of their hearts and tend that accordingly.
Growth Takes Time & it can’t be Rushed:
I can’t over water a plant expecting it to grow faster. More than anything over watering a plant will actually kill it. Plant growth requires time. No extra water or sunlight is not going to make it grow any faster than it can. Over the course of time will we be able see the growth that happens.
In life, we can’t expect change to happen overnight either. It takes time. It takes care. Not just change, but a lot of things in life takes time. We can’t hustle for a week expecting overnight results. We can only remain consistent in the things we do—and it’s through this consistency that we later reap the goods.
Light Attracts:
Wherever the light comes from, that’s the direction a lot of the leaves grow towards. It’s amazing, really. And it’s super cool. And I think life can be like that. We often go towards what makes us come alive, what inspires us, what encourages and challenges us. As people, our light can help light up others. So let’s speak light to others, because together we are stronger.
Those are 5 things I’ve learned from having house plants. Isn’t it interesting how having plants can help you realize many things about life and about people.
Having house plants have been fun and beautiful. I’ve started to propagate my pothos which is really exciting.
It makes me happy when people come over and tell me they like that my plants are thriving because I do take time to care for my plants. Sometimes I even talk to them (literally). And it’s through the care that they’re able to be healthy and grow beautifully. How beautiful can people grow if we also create safe and healthy spaces for them, right?
If you’re thinking about getting a house plant but unsure of what to get because you have never had plants before or you’ve killed plants in the past, I suggested getting a pothos plant. From my experience, they are the easiest to care for because they’re the most adaptable. You can go a week or two without watering them and they’ll be fine for the most part. You can water them too much and they’ll sort that out themselves too. I have found that if I don’t water them for a while, they can still be revived easily or vice versa.
If you’ve had pothos in the past and have killed them, then I suggest getting a spider plant. I have a spider plant and I almost always forget to water it, but it’s still thriving. I water only when I remember to and it’s been seriously my easiest plant to care for.
It’s amazing what having house plants can teach us about life and people. Do you have house plants? What have you learned from having them?