Mother's Garden

Mother Nature is calling.

Are you ready to be part of the solution,

rather than part of the problem?

It's easier than you think.

Paradise is possible.

Come to Mother's Garden

@ The Katsip Nature Center

Earth Day, 2021 at 8:00 AM

Rosalie folds the flyer in half and sets it back where she found it. The small Formica table in the break room on the fourth floor is always scattered with flyers and brochures on just about everything you can think of. This one, however, is out of the ordinary. Talking about Mother Nature in this town? It strikes her as more than a little odd. She fills her mug with fresh coffee, then turns and leans against the counter, gazing at the folded paper on the table as she takes a sip.

The tiny town of Polsbough consists of two things: a power plant and the people who work there. That's it. No one talks about the environment here. Not when their livelihoods depend on their paychecks. It's a weight they carry silently with no hope of relief, at least not without picking up and moving- something many residents have done over the years, including Rosalie's two grown children. She turns to head back to her office in the human resources dept, pausing briefly in the doorway before she spins around to collect the flyer. She shoves it in the pocket of her blazer hastily before storming out.

Rosalie tries to immerse herself in her work but finds that her mind keeps going back to the flyer. Paradise is possible, what does that even mean? And what is Mother's Garden, anyway? She's never heard the name before. Opening up a new InPrivate tab on her web browser, she types the words into the search engine but the results that come up aren't relevant. She tries again and again, using different phrases each time, but still gets nothing. She shuts the browser and turns away from her computer, frustrated.

After glancing at her office door to make sure it was still closed, she pulls the flyer out of her pocket to reread the words another time. But, they don't make any more sense than the last time. What exactly is this solution they expect me to be a part of? They need to be more specific. She drops the flyer onto her desk and goes back to work, only to take another look an hour later to reread the words for the third time. Who even brought this in the building? Will they be at the meeting? She can't take it anymore, she simply must find out.

Rosalie remains bothered through the week and for the entirety of the two-hour drive to the nature center. As she pulls into the parking lot, she spots a sign that reads “Mother's Garden” with a small group of people standing beside it. She parks her car and saunters over, eyeing the people warily. Shielding her face with the brim of her sunhat, she studies each person closely and finds that there are no familiar faces. It seems no one else from the plant showed up.

She starts to make conversation with a couple of the others and finds that some have traveled even farther than she has for the occasion. No one can tell her anything specific about Mother's Garden, but they all seem to think that it has something to do with climate change and they are eager to take part. Rosalie's curiosity continues to grow as a large white van with dark, tinted windows pulls up in front of the group. Apparently, the nature center is just a meet-up point, they are going to see the elusive Mother's Garden for themselves.

As Rosalie sits with the others in the back of the van, she quickly notices that the windows are not actually tinted but have been blacked out with paint. The thought crosses her mind that she may have just become victim to some sort of trafficking ring, or a similarly sinister circumstance, and curses herself for not telling her best friend, Miranda, or either of her children where she'd gone. When, finally, the van slows to a stop and the back doors open, the sun shines in and stings Rosalie's eyes. She squints in pain as she inches awkwardly forward to exit the van with the others.

Standing before them is a large stone fence with a tall and elegant metal gate. The gate doors are decorated with an image of a figure who appears to be a mix of human and nature; the legs are a tree trunk and the arms are branches, while the torso and face are the only parts to resemble a human woman. The words: “Welcome to Mother's Garden” are inscribed below the striking image. Suddenly the doors begin to open before them and the small crowd falls silent as they soak up the view.

It is a small, private community on the outskirts of the city, resting on the border of an uncharted forest. A small welcoming party waits for them just inside the gate, consisting mainly of children who are holding hand-made necklaces and other small gifts. A man and woman, who introduce themselves as Sherry and Alan, announce that they will be their guides for the day. Rosalie and the others step aboard a rustic horse-drawn carriage and are taken on a tour of the community.

As they go along, the visitors are awed by the ingenious ways that the community is able to live in perfect harmony with each other and the earth. What stands out the most to Rosalie are the many sculptures of the woman from the gate doors, whom she'd come to learn was the embodiment of Mother Nature. A beloved idol for the community, the image is almost everywhere you look, not to mention that Alan and Sherry keep chorusing each other's remarks with phrases like, “Mother be praised” and “Praise Mother”.

It's a little unnerving for an outsider, or at least it is for Rosalie. Most of the other visitors seem unfazed, Rosalie can even hear a couple of them start to repeat the phrases themselves. It reminds her of the way churchgoers chime in with “amen” after the Lord's prayer. The small community is so different from anything Rosalie has known in her life that she can't help but put her guard up. But even she can't deny the supreme sense of peace and well-being that exists here. It's something she's rarely experienced in her life and finds the feeling to be increasingly persuasive. The carriage comes to a stop before a massive garden, and the visitors are invited to explore it on foot. Rosalie instantly falls in love at the sight of it.

The garden is enormous and has everything anyone could ask for; flowers, bushes, trees, fruits, vegetables, herbs, and more. It seems each plant has been carefully arranged, or at least it feels that way as Rosalie stands for five minutes in a sweet spot where the soothing scent of a lavender bush co-mingles with some energizing sweet orange blossoms. Then, depending on the wind, the wondrous scents are further complimented by hibiscus, rose, or vanilla blooms. To Rosalie, it is heaven on earth.

The experience is so moving that when the time comes to continue on the tour, Rosalie is heartbroken. The thought that she will never again see the garden is so upsetting that she wishes she'd never seen it in the first place. She falls into a mood that persists through the final leg of the tour as well as the meal that has been prepared for the visitors using ingredients that were grown, or raised, in the community. Needless to say, it was delicious.

After the meal, an old man comes to stand before them at the table. Sherry introduces him as Samuel the Elder. Rosalie has never considered herself to be a spiritual person, so it takes her by surprise that she is so affected by the man in a single moment. She stares at him with wonder as he looks over the small group and offers a welcoming smile. He exudes an aura of serenity and an ethereal calm. As Samuel begins to speak, his voice carries through the room and captivates the attention of every person within it, even Sherry and Alan, who have heard his greeting many times before.

“Welcome to Mother's Garden. Your presence is a blessing. I hope you've enjoyed your time with us today, we have all very much enjoyed having you with us. Whenever it is that we have visitors, I like to take a moment to share a little about our philosophy with them, as I would like to do for you now. The fundamental beliefs that our community was built upon circle around the beautiful reality that Mother Nature is the mother to us all.”

At the far end of the table, Sherry and Alan quietly murmur “Praise Mother” in unison.

Samuel continues, “we are all born with a piece of Mother Nature inside of us. Because of this, we are as much a part of her as she is with us. She connects us to the earth and each other, together we are one. Many of the problems that people experience today are the direct result of a detachment from Mother Nature. She, in turn, suffers as well. And her suffering increases with each passing day, month, and year. As it stands today, she is in desperate need of our help. So, what do we do? How do we help our Mother? How do we help ourselves? We believe the two can heal each other...”

Rosalie and the others are entranced by his words. Any remaining resistance she's been holding on to up to this point fades away. As Samuel's speech concludes, there is a collective sadness in the room. No one is ready for it to end. “If you want to join us, you are welcome. If you want to visit, we hope to see you soon. Whatever it is that you chose to do from this day forward, I hope that you will choose to honor Mother Nature in your heart, and pass her message onto others who need it.” He brings his hands together at his heart and bows his head.

Rosalie wipes at a tear that is threatening to fall as the others break out in excited chatter, each eager to thank Samuel for his inspiring words. Rosalie watches, frozen, as his message saturates her mind and body completely, bringing her to an awakening. She is not yet aware of the effects that this experience will bring about in her life, but she knows that she will never be the same.

Before Samuel says his final goodbye to the group, he locks eyes with Rosalie as she sits, still frozen in her seat. Her gratitude is painted across her face. The two share a moment as he sends her a knowing smile while she moves a hand to her heart and an unspoken understanding passes between them. Alan and Sherry step forward to lead the visitors to the carriage, which will take them to the gate, and, ultimately, back to their normal lives. Rosalie walks with the others, still silent as she gazes at her surroundings, soaking up every last inch to store in her memory.

The visitors file into the back of the van once again. Each one has changed in some way from the person they were upon their arrival at Mother's Garden. As the guides say goodbye, they repeat the phrases that triggered Rosalie's suspicions not so long before. This time, however, her voice can be heard among the others, “Mother be praised.”