Soil

 It was a sunny and quiet summer day. The calm atmosphere at home was suddenly brightened by Ayşe's joyful voice.

"Mom, look! My strawberries have turned bright red. I’m so happy. They’ve grown so beautifully! Shall we pick them together?"

The little girl was bouncing around like a ball, unable to stand still. She was running back and forth in the small garden, eagerly waiting for her mother to join her. Filiz rushed to the garden, and when she saw the bright red strawberries, she kissed her daughter with joy.

"My sweet bird, out of all the seeds we planted, only your little plant bore fruit this summer! This is such a good sign! It means we should keep planting our soil."

Filiz, in her forties, spent two months of every summer at this old house with her husband Taner and their only daughter Ayşe, before returning to the city. Like every summer, they had come to this small village house again this year. Until now, relaxing, breathing in fresh air, and taking long walks had been enough for them. But this summer, Filiz had a different idea in mind.

She had decided to plant and cultivate the unused land around the house. Not only would she make use of the idle soil, but she would also grow healthy and delicious produce that they couldn’t find in the city. All winter, this thought had occupied her mind. Finally, she shared her plan with her husband. Filiz’s enthusiasm and her sensible reasoning about healthy produce convinced Taner as well.

They came to the village with various seeds, irrigation machines, and gardening tools. As soon as they arrived, they excitedly got to work. They planted seeds, placed seedlings, and gave each one its first watering. Every day, they eagerly watered and checked their soil.

However, after two months, the results were far from what they had expected. Some seeds didn’t sprout at all, some sprouted but didn’t grow much, and others grew excessively but bore no fruit. Where had they gone wrong?

Filiz stared at the soil with a sad look, holding a cup of tea. Seeing her like this, Taner came over to her side.

"Filiz, my love, we tried what you wanted, we worked hard, but it just didn’t work out. Please don’t be upset anymore."

"How can I not be upset, Taner? All that effort went to waste!"

"I understand, dear, but are we going to keep staring at the soil, feeling sad?"

After a short silence, Filiz seemed to pull herself together and replied:

"You’re right, there’s no point in staring at the soil. Do you know where we went wrong? We didn’t try to understand the soil. We just planted whatever we had without a plan, watered it, and tilled it. Then we expected the results we wanted."

Taner remained silent, and Filiz continued thinking aloud:

Whether it’s a person or soil, it wants to be understood, known, and accepted first. Perhaps it needs time, attention, knowledge, and patience. But everything and everyone wants to be understood first.

So, what does soil mean?

It means giving life,

It means growing and nurturing,

It means providing benefits,

It means movement and abundance,

It means cleansing, embracing, and preserving,

It means returning more than you give,

It means waiting patiently.

Soil is the essence of human life.

"There should be a deep bond between people and soil," she thought. Only when someone understands the soil and identifies its needs can they reap what they sow.

Just like our relationships... A person can only receive something in return when they understand the needs of others. The soil’s yield increases when it gets the water it needs, when it’s tilled and aerated.

Just like a human being... A person can relax and flourish when their needs are met, when they feel heard and understood.

That’s why one must understand the soil they hold in their hands and then spend time addressing the wants and needs of others. Because only by addressing the needs can one build a connection and gain productivity in return.

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                      Experiential Design Teachings and Decision-Making Themed Blog

Experiential Design Teachings aim to give purpose to a person's life.

To be happy and successful in life...

"Since the existence of humankind on Earth, the greatest friend and foe have never changed. The person in the mirror..." 

Yahya Hamurcu 

Who’s Who? The Art of Understanding People 
Mastery in Relationships 
The Psychology of Success
Mastery in Avoidance
Designer (Strategy Design)

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