My roots are deep in a long lineage of farmers. My grandfather and his eight brothers and sisters grew up on a farm along the Ohio River and that was destined to be his life, whether he liked it or not. As it was, he did like it… or that’s how I certainly recall it as a small child. He was so proud of the food he grew and loved sharing the dividends from his sweat equity.
My mother, who is cut from the same cloth, carries on our family tradition as a grower herself. Every year she rolls out her carefully selected heirloom tomato plants to take to the market. It’s always an exciting time of the season, but this year felt particularly special. It occurred to me how significant those plants were, what they symbolized.
People come, in gleeful anticipation, to the market to purchase plants to grow in their own gardens. It made me recall my own roots and really the roots of our country laid down in our history; something rattled deep within me. I thought of the Victory Gardens that were grown during the wartime era where folks were encouraged to start growing their own food. But these gardens and the fruit of their labor represented much more than just food; they represented hope, self-reliance, sustainability, community and a return to their roots.
And so I thought, what will I plant in MY Victory Garden this year? Which seeds will I choose to water and how will I lovingly tend to this garden? Will I pull the weeds of yesterday and start cultivating hope for a brighter tomorrow? The resounding YES wells up from the collective roots of our shared strength and perseverance, peppered with a great deal of hope. Which seeds will you sow?
-Chrissy Leake
