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Personal Reflection/Anecdote

From My Mother’s Garden

By Shirley Turner
After a long day of running errands and grocery shopping, I spotted a strange package on the front porch.
It was from my sister-in-law, Sarah. To my surprise, the box was filled with plants whose roots were
carefully wrapped in wet paper towels and sealed in zip lock bags. They were still moist and quite green
after their journey from my mother’s garden in Mississippi to our front porch in Maryland. My unexpected
treasure contained peppermint, chocolate mint, red canna lilies, and other assorted plants. Although my
mother passed away when I was a teenager, many of her plants are still flourishing 50 years later.
On the first nice day of spring, I put the plants into the ground, praying that they would survive the
drastic change in weather conditions. They struggled to live at first—some turning brown, others not
growing, and yet others refusing to sprout at all. In addition, an influx of Japanese beetles threatened
to destroy the lily. After that, the lantern fly invaded the flower garden, threatening to wreak even more
havoc. After some intervention with the proper pesticides, the plants are thriving. I also talk to them every
day, telling them how beautiful they are and that they shall live and not die. As a result, I have only lost
two of the plants.
This experience reminds me of the nurturing needed for many of our students who have experienced
trauma. A traumatic event, as described by the National Institute of Mental Health (2024), “is a shocking,
scary, or dangerous experience that can affect someone emotionally and physically” (para.1). In other
words, traumatic experiences are those that are dangerous, violent, or scary and may interfere with a
child’s ability to function on a day-to-day basis, much like the lily I received in Stage 1 that struggled to
grow at first in its drastically different environment.

When educators become aware of a child’s fragile state, what is the next step? Much like the precious
reminders of my mother to which I give care and attention, children experiencing trauma need support if
they are expected to heal and begin to live normal lives—like the plant in Stage 2 that received the proper
nurturing, enabling it to thrive in its new home.

Collegial Exchange · 31