As someone who grew up in the Pacific Northwest, I’ve long been a fan of the natural world. Growing up in the state of Oregon has left me very accustomed to greenery, foliage, and the smell of wet grass, so it’s only natural that I have developed a pretty serious affinity for plant life. The amount of pure, unadulterated joy that I get from watering my 10 succulents every other day is unmatched, so I just thought I’d share some of the many benefits that I reap from my beautiful cactus children every day.
First of all, everyone knows that succulents have incredible aesthetic appeal. Every time I clean my room, the most relaxing part is rearranging my leafy friends on my windowsill. They’re so clean and small and I love to put them in little clay pots that I write on or decorate with my own little sparks of joy. They add a sense of liveliness to my bland dorm room and make me feel like the interior design goddess I was born to be.
They’re more than just their looks though, obviously. After moving out of my parents’ house in August and being thrust into the “real world” for my inaugural semester of Adulthood™, taking care of my succulents has given me a sense of purpose and pride. I am their protector, nurturer, mother, whatever you want to call it. I know they’re plants, not people, but I don’t think that really means they’re inanimate. Whenever I water them, I make sure to play only the songs that make me happy and touch the leaves of each one, just in case it makes a difference. It doesn’t seem too crazy, I mean, it’s pretty common knowledge that living things need a positive environment to survive, so who knows? Maybe in some weird, ecological way, my succulents can sense my good vibes or something. Call me neurotic, but I feel like I genuinely love these tiny plants with all my heart. It just feels good to care for something that needs me, I guess.
In a way, I feel like they take care of me, too. I provide them with water, space, sunlight, and love, and they reward me with a cute aesthetic and tangible proof that I have the capacity to keep life going. It’s encouraging to know that I can create an environment for other living things to thrive, and gives me hope for my own self-preservation whenever I start to doubt myself. It’s inspiring, in a way, to watch them grow. Even when I’m crying because I’m homesick, or panicking because I’m stressed, or just feeling weird and bad in general, there they are, in their little pots, just quietly living and growing, and having the audacity to be beautiful and successful, even in the dark and the cold.
My succulents connect me with the natural world, and I’m completely enamored with the lovely, wholesome, symbiotic relationship I’ve created with these miniature chunks of the planet, and I would highly recommend investing in some little green babies of your own.