5 Reinvention Lessons Learned from Nature

I’ve often said that there is much to be learned about life transitions from nature. I was recently reminded of this phenomena, courtesy of a rogue pumpkin plant growing in our backyard. As you can see in the photo below, the plant is gigantic. From the time it sprouted, it’s grown like a wildfire: anchoring its roots into the ground, climbing up the deck and winding its tendrils around anything in its path. 

To date, the plant has yielded only one pumpkin. Several others started to grow, but like so many “great ideas of the day” they ultimately withered on the vine. Fortunately, the one that is growing appears to be a keeper.

I’d love to claim that this plant is so impressive because we are amazing gardeners. But in truth, we’ve really had nothing to do with it. We didn’t plant it – it appeared out of nowhere. Well, okay, that’s not entirely true. You see, the plant started in our compost pile after we discarded our Halloween pumpkin there last fall. So I guess we sorta did plant it, even though that was never our intention. It’s interesting how the little seeds we scatter, often without even noticing, can manifest in interesting ways.

Notably, this is not the first year we’ve grown things without meaning to do so. In fact, every summer something surprising grows out of our compost pile. Gourds, tomatoes, herbs and flowers have all magically appeared out of the discarded “waste” that was left to rot in the compost. Nature teaches us that when the right seeds find the right growing environment, new growth flourishes. Of course, it helps to nurture the process along a bit. A little water, sunshine, fertilizer, and a sprinkling of luck, can work wonders.

As the summer draws to a close, we will continue to delight in watching our pumpkin grow, ripen, and eventually fall off the vine. Then, we will proudly display it on our front stoop until the frost hits. Once the pumpkin rots, we will return it to the compost pile – and wait for the cycle to begin anew.