Five years ago, my husband and I bought a former farm. It’s a short ride from our Vancouver home but a world away. As we restore the land, I feel my well-being returning, but I think the farm is also working its magic on our son’s growing resilience (适应能力). Since Dev was 20, he has lived with mental illness. We have been on this journey with him from crisis to recovery.

【小题1】 We found the farm.

It has taken a couple of years to clear the land, seed the lawn (草坪) and build garden beds. But we did it even as other parts of our life had come undone. The farm was holding our family together. We come over on weekends and holidays and have been planting. 【小题2】

Before he went to treatment, we planted a “guild” in the old apple farm. 【小题3】 We dug around the weaker trees and placed in garlic, wildflowers and bone meal. It keeps the moisture (水分) and nutrients in, and the garden seems to thrive (茁壮成长) as a result.

【小题4】 The land needed clearing, and Doug, our workman, worked steadily and helped whenever I asked. Asking for help is a principle in the recovery community, a lesson my son is learning. It truly does take a village to restore a farm and rebuild a life.

The desire to recover this land has grown in me. 【小题5】 He’s found his own kind of guild that supports him. Owning a farm was never our plan but it came when our family needed a meaningful project. When my hands are in the dirt, I remember that intervention (干预) is necessary and so is allowing nature to take its course. Digging is an act of faith, hope and anticipation of what will appear next.