Incorporating others to help with this past summer’s pilot with Mosaic was a priority. Culling through my list of friends and co-workers, I asked to see if anyone was interested in joining in for the summer, volunteering weekly. Those with time to share and an interest in growing and enjoying healthy foods was a small number. Everyone who signed up was willing to commit weekly to meet in heat, pull weeds, fight off bugs and most importantly, engage with the Mosaic team.

Each of these mentors: Angelyn, Bob, Mark, Carla, Terry, Tara, Michaela and Kim had a love for the soil and for hard work but especially for people. Watching each of them carefully engage with the Mosaic team was magical for me. It’s difficult for industrious folks to wait and watch others work, extremely trying when the waiting is long and the watch includes restraining yourself from helping.

One of the imperatives at the garden was for the Mosaic team to do the work, not watch us work. This required an armload of resistance and a truckload of patience. We all slipped up from time to time, which was graciously accepted by the Mosaic team as well.

Carla carefully considering others…something she continually did.

Mark giving his goodbyes when lunch was concluding.

Nancy, our master gardener and her protege, granddaughter Avry.

Terry seeding Onions with Nancy, our master gardener.

At the end of each work time together we shared what we liked the most of the day together. Most often, we heard comments about the lunch or the heat but we also heard “deadheading flowers, harvesting basil, tending tomatoes” and my personal favorite, “squirting water”.

As I reflect on this past growing season, I grew by watching these magical mentors engage intentionally and become connected to the Mosaic team in personal and powerful ways.