I never thought I’d find myself in a gardening shop on a Tuesday afternoon, of all places. But there I was, surrounded by pots, seeds, and soil bags, feeling utterly clueless. Life has a way of pushing you into strange corners when you least expect it. This time, it pushed me here, and if I’m being honest, it wasn’t entirely unwelcome.

The shopkeeper, an older woman with kind eyes and a perpetual layer of dirt under her nails, approached me. “You look lost,” she said, her voice warm, almost motherly.

"I am,” I admitted, surprising myself with my honesty. “I think I need a plant.”

She smiled knowingly. “First-time gardener?”

“First time at…everything,” I muttered.

Without asking further questions, she handed me a small pot of seeds. The label read Lavender,a plant known for its calming properties. “Here,” she said, “Start small. Lavender is resilient, just like you.”

I didn’t argue. Something about her words felt like permission to exhale for the first time in weeks.

Back home, I cleared...