20 Sep Mindful Mowing
Not everyone finds mowing or trimming the garden a particularly enjoyable pastime, especially when that garden is 4 acres large. But Chris A and Chris M do. Not because they have to, but because they want to.
Recently the Chris’s found themselves in Lanna Rehab for some personal addiction issues that they knew had to be dealt with. They shared more than just a common first name. They both found that giving back to the community became part of their personal recovery journey and they wanted to help the local orphanage improve the garden environment for the kids that stayed there. But when the Chris’s met the Im Jai House Directors to ask if they could help, they were shocked at the lawn mower they dubbed “The Devil”. It had an exposed engine, fan belts, exposed blades and no throttle, and in their words “at least 8 ways to lose a finger, hand, leg or small child”. It was an accident waiting to happen.
So, what did the Chris’s do? Without hesitation, they asked to be taken to the local hardware store and with their own money, they purchased a top of the line Honda lawn mower and trimmer so that they could do the garden work, and that Im Jai House had safe tools that the staff and kids could use well into the future.
But more than just buying equipment, the Chris’s went to Im Jai twice a week, in 35 degree heat and cut the 4 acres of garden, aided by some of the Im Jai House staff. This community work was not a prescribed part of their formal treatment program, and it was 100% the Chris’s initiatives and in their personal time.
Chris A had done some community work before he came to Lanna Rehab and he found that giving back was an important part of his personal recovery. Not only did he enjoy the time in the garden and coined the phrase “mindful mowing”, as he used that time to reflect on himself and his recovery, he found himself spending more and more time with the elderly residents that he cut the grass for. They invited him in for tea and biscuits and he found the small amount of time he spent with them meant so much to them as they didn’t get a lot of visitors. Chris A doesn’t really know who benefited more from his community work and the tea and biscuits – the residents or himself, but he knows that when he goes home, he will continue to do his community work – not because he has too, but because he wants too.
The Chris’s are not unique in their personal recovery journey. Many clients engage with the local community and especially with the kids in teaching, sports, music or gardening. They find that their journey becomes more than just about themselves. It becomes about giving to others selflessly, about contributing some time to help others, to put smiles on faces, which in turn puts a smile on their own hearts. It’s about taking life, particularly the small parts of life, less for granted. Those small bits are hugely powerful when you start to put them all together. Many clients go home completely changed people. And that’s why Lanna Rehab does what it does – to help people realize change and improve not only their lives, but also the lives of others round them.
Note – All clients that attend Lanna Rehab receive absolute privacy and confidentiality. However, some clients want to stand up and tell their story in the hope that they can inspire others and change more lives. Chris A and Chris M were 2 such people, and we are proud of their efforts, as are Im Jai House.
