When Amiya Sheshadri’s garden started to show signs of neglect, it made her wonder what else she might be neglecting.
The sun shone on my face as I took a shovel to the soil. Irises. Eleven of them, lovingly handpicked from a farmer’s market earlier that day. That was the day’s agenda. I carefully placed each plant and dug my fingers into the soil. I was focused as I patted around the roots and slowly watered them. Technically, I was done but it didn’t feel right. So I grabbed a book and read by my plants. I’m not sure they have the same taste for Jane Austen as I do, but I continued to read there every day. It was a simple routine. Water and then Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, then halfway through Sense and Sensibility my routine was shattered. Almost overnight I became swamped with high school and extracurriculars. And with that, my little escape faded away as well.
Thanks to their hardiness, seven of my irises have survived but I haven’t seen them flower for years. Irises only bloom for about a week of the year, making them an even rarer sight now. As I do my homework, unable to step away from my screen, my eyes gravitate to the window with a view of my iris planter. They call for a continuation of the narrative that ended so abruptly. I have come to sincerely believe that through my chase of a perfect transcript, I have neglected relaxation.
In my experience, more tasks are always available but it is the irises that are scarce and sadly often sacrificed. There is always a way to rationalize a more productive use of time. A new opportunity or project. But I wish we could normalize breaks as a part of productivity. Digging fingers into soil, away from work, quietly tending to my garden, I’ve realized, has always been conducive to my productivity rather than the obstacle I once perceived. For now I’m trying to return to my garden when I can, revisiting Sense and Sensibility for a few minutes each day with my irises.
With a Perspective, I’m Amiya Sheshadri.