Take Time to Tend

A Gentle Reminder for a Busy Season – Donna Letier

This is the season when life asks a lot of us. Our calendars fill. Our pace quickens. Our minds race ahead to the next gathering, the next deadline, the next moment we hope will feel a little less full.

And yet — right now — nature is offering us a different rhythm.

The days are shorter not to confine us, but to remind us to rest. Winter is nature’s tending season. It is quieter, slower, more intentional. Growth hasn’t stopped; it has simply gone inward. Roots strengthen. Energy is conserved. Space is created for renewal.

And maybe that’s our invitation too.

To take time to tend.
To tend to the small things that ground us.
To tend to the relationships that hold us.
To tend to our own well-being with the same care we offer everyone else.

Last week, I was in New York — and the hustle of the season was everywhere. Sirens, crowds, deadlines, lights, energy. But in the middle of it all, I knew I needed a moment to find my own season. So I walked to Rockefeller Center and stood in front of the Christmas tree. It was 18 degrees, bitterly cold, but I stayed. I took a few quiet minutes to be grateful — for the beauty in front of me, for the growing opportunities of Gardenuity, for the simple gift of stillness.

And it worked.
That pause tended to me in a way I didn’t realize I needed.

As I stood there, I found myself thinking about all the stories that tree could tell — the decades it spent growing, the people who walked past it when it was still just a sapling, the storms it weathered, the seasons it endured. And now, here it was, towering above a city, ready to witness engagements, laughter, reunions, and moments of wonder. A living symbol of how tending, year after year, leads to something extraordinary.

Tending doesn’t require grand gestures. It’s a gentle practice — a mug of something warm, a five-minute breath, a moment of stillness before you step into what’s next. It’s noticing what needs nourishment and offering it without rushing.

“Neuroscience reminds us that rest isn’t idle — it’s productive.
In those small pauses, your brain is making connections, easing fatigue, and preparing you for your next challenge. The pause is part of the work.”

Gardening teaches this beautifully. Plants don’t thrive because we check on them once; they thrive because we tend to them consistently, especially in their quieter seasons. The same is true for us. Our wellness grows when we slow down enough to notice what needs care.

“Environmental research tells us that even a brief moment with nature restores our ability to focus and think clearly. It’s why a quiet breath in front of a tree, a plant on your desk, or a step outside can change the way you move through the rest of your day.
Nature tends to us so we can grow stronger.”

So as your days fill with celebration, work, travel, and giving to others, take a moment to tend to yourself. Step outside. Touch something green. Plant something small. Make space for quiet gratitude. Let this be your season of strengthening your own roots.

Because when we take time to tend — even in the smallest ways — we grow what truly matters.

From my garden to yours,

Donna