You Are So Fresh

Harvest is the process of gathering mature crops from the field-crops that are ready to be picked from seeds that were sown months before. According to Crescent Bloom, November 1, is the first day of harvest for the late fall season. Planting is all about creating the future in the present. Farmers know this. They know which crops to grow in the soil they have, in the climates in which they live. They know when Mother Nature needs an extra hand with water and light, and sometimes they have to know what to do when Mother Nature decides to wreak havoc with water and light, wind, snow, etc. The uncertainties that come don’t prevent farmers from sowing seeds; every time they plant, they learn something. It could be how to better do what they do, or how to do something different. The unknown can yield something unexpected which can open a new market. Or farmers can get something which only has value as fertilizer for something else. And even that is a benefit.

Mothers Empowered has learned and is continuing to learn about the Power of Harvest. 2010-2011 was our second year of ME’s empowerment workshop series. We had changed location, made some changes to the farm team and expected a cash crop. Last year’s harvest, though, yielded more in the way of HOW we needed to grow rather than WHAT we needed to grow. We decided that providing a safe space for women to share their stories in ways that provided them with opportunities to be their most power-full selves, raise power-full children and build power-full communities was the soil we needed to cultivate. And that was how we planned our harvest. We strengthened relationships, developed new partnerships, asked lots of questions, listened more than we talked, and used our resources-old and new, to plan our new ME crop. What we have is a new workshop series with a social services agency in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn. We also have an opportunity to be involved in the planting of a much larger crop designed to transform the existing landscape of a community in transition. That is the Power of Harvest.

Too often, we beat ourselves up and make ourselves wrong when the yield of a crop is far from what we expected. From relationships, to business ventures to careers, we stay rooted to the expectation long after the yield has demonstrated otherwise. We think because we put a certain amount of time, or money, or effort into something we have to remain committed to the relationship, business or career. Powering forward means knowing what you know, being open to knowing something new and letting go of what you don’t need to know anymore. If a friend constantly questions the way you parent and criticizes most of what you do, you can know loving a person from a distance can be healthy for you; receiving support for your authentic growth is a power move; allowing your spirit to be sabotaged ain’t martydom, it’s madness. You have to be clear about what you would like to see grow, how you would like to see it grow and what you need to do to make it grow in a way that meets your expectations. If you expect to grow a crop that’s lush, healthy and sustainable, you will put in the work necessary to see that happen. You’ll tend to the crop, pay attention and provide care, when necessary. And you’ll expect that you will reap a bounty that sees your expectations met. If not, you’ll save what can be saved and let go of what cannot. It’s about planning, choosing, decision making. It’s about vision brought to fruition. It’s about you turning it on.
The Movement is ME!!