Growing Gratitude — Not Just Plants

They say you can never have too many greens, good for the eyes, good for health, good for the gut. Good, period. But honestly, why did I plant them? Because I just enjoy them. No grand reason, no specific nutritional agenda (though that’s part of it), just the simple pleasure of seeing them growing. I enjoy the sight! ☺️

These days, I catch myself turning into my mother—plucking fresh spinach (پالک) and fenugreek (میتھی), wrapping them carefully in a pand, and bringing them inside like little treasures. ;))

(Pand
(( پنجابی۔ پنڈ = اک کپڑے وچ بجھّا ہویا بھار، گنڈھڑی، گنڈھ )) is a cloth used to wrap vegetables, keeping them fresh by absorbing moisture and preventing wilting—an old practice from farm to home. Well, pand is basically anything tied in a cloth. What do you people call it?)

There’s something oddly satisfying about this small ritual. Funny thing is, I don’t even love spinach that much. It’s not my go-to green. I don’t cook it often—mostly just toss some in fritters (پکوڑا) (which I did today, by the way). But seeing these beauties flourish in my little kitchen garden? That makes me happier than actually eating them.

I also have radish (مولی), salad leaves (سلاد پتہ), coriander (دھنیا), spring onions (ہرا پیاز), and garlic (لہسن) growing here, and watching them thrive is just as satisfying.

We planted two new lemon saplings. By the time they bear fruit, we might not even be in this house. Hopefully, someone else will enjoy them. And may it be sadqa-e-jaria —a small act of charity that keeps giving.

_{Lemon Tree: Planted by someone who, maybe, never tasted its fruit, yet their sadqa-e-jaria lives on.}

After marriage, I never lived in a house with a lawn. My father always did, though, and even now, his home has a huge one. My mother has always loved tending to plants. These days, she’s more into her chickens, but her garden is still thriving — grapes (انگور), black plum (جامن), cardamom (الائچی), different types of lemons (لیموں), and more. She’s always had a way with plants.

Look at her grapes and black plum (jamun).

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So maybe this love for planting and gardening comes from her. Or maybe it’s just what happens when you finally have space to grow things.

Either way, I’ve come to appreciate these little moments — pluckings, cuttings, the quiet joy of tending to something and watching it flourish. It’s therapy. It’s a privilege I never truly valued before.

If you have the chance, try it. Because gardening isn’t just about eating what you grow — it’s so much more than that.

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So yeah, these are some simple joys amidst the chaos of life, keeping me grounded, filling me with gratitude.

I live for these moments!!!