In a hidden corner of a suburban block in Winter Park, Florida, one can say that the perfect postcard photo can be taken within five minutes of arrival. Mead Botanical Gardens on South Denning Drive is by far the best hidden gem of Orlando’s suburbs. The unpretentious iron gates are open until dusk for visitors to enjoy a combination of nature trails, gardens, picnic tables, and the surreal Alice’s Pond. The whole scene around the pond could easily belong to an early impressionist painting if it weren’t for the random jeans and crop top. The lazy afternoon picnic blankets, the children playing stick competitions in the creek; they all belong to a romance novel of past centuries. The sun, warm enough to make the afternoon pleasant, reflects on the creatures that hide within nature only to show themselves capriciously and unafraid. There’s no need for either a sweater nor shade to rest from the heat. Everything is as it should be.
Past the butterfly garden, there’s a trail that showcases untouched nature, where rabbits live audaciously next to the humans that pass by to take pictures of their brown fur. The ducks, the turtles… it all belongs to a Beatrix Potter book, except it’s a different continent altogether.
Nature Improving Mental Health
What is it that instills such serenity in the human mind as to enter a trance? The philosophical side of my brain couldn’t help but breathe every piece of calmness in and exhale the polluted thoughts and pressures. Mead Botanical Garden seemed to have the perfect medicine for a busy mind.
As I got closer to Alice’s Pond, I noticed a picnic blanket full of color and tiny canvases. The colors drew me in, and that’s how I met Tej.
PERSON WHO MADE MY DAY: Tej the Painting Mom
Tej was unassumingly painting her little canvases with color. I casually approached her —partly because she wasn’t using technology— but also because she appeared to be the calm and collected type, which is a quality hard to find nowadays.
Her self-description: mother, adventurer, therapist, in that order.
What is the best advice you could give your future patients?
Talk about mental health without stigma or embarrassment. We wouldn’t be embarrassed to talk about other health issues, such as diabetes or other diseases; why would we feel ashamed to talk about our mental health?
What do you wish people knew about mental health?
When to ask for reinforcements. People wait too long or don’t look for help at all.
What is the best advice you can give people?
Remember the why. Remember why you do what you do.
As therapeutic as expected, her voice suggested everything without the euphoria of an emphasis, yet every single piece of advice was relevant.
All this conversation reminded me of an old poem of mine from the book Empathy Prescribed:
As I started my goodbyes, I said to her:
Well, Tej, I’m glad I found you!
Suddenly her husband, the quiet type, finally broke his silence:
I’m very glad I found her too.
For more information on Mead Botanical Gardens go to: http://www.meadgarden.org
For more information on Ella Vega, or to purchase the book Empathy Prescribed, please visit www.ella-vega.com
