Well, hello there. My name is Morgan Harper-Nichols. I'm an artist and a writer, and this is a space where I share words that I hope can make a little room for you to slow down and take a few deep breaths as you prepare for whatever lies ahead. Thanks for being here today. And now on to today's episode.

Today we're wrapping up this week's series with Part 5 of 5 on learning how to thrive in a desert. If you'd like to catch up on the first four parts of this series, those episodes are all

available wherever you listen to podcasts.

At the end of our tour at the Desert Botanical Garden, our tour guys shared a new piece

of information with us regarding the agave plant.

This succulent, with its outspread stalks, has always reminded me of a pair of open palms stretching up toward the sky.

When I see this plant, I've always imagined it is reaching out for what it needs. So when our tour guide said that the agave

stalks are stretched out that way to receive water, I couldn't help but smile. Over the years, I've written a few

different poems about the importance of keeping our hearts open to love. And with this newfound

knowledge, I can't help but feel that the agave plant shares the same sentiment. Even though

water is essential to its survival, the agave plant does not see water on a

regular basis. This means that it has to stay open at all times, just in case the rain comes unexpectedly.

If it does not remain open to receive the rain, it may miss the chance at capturing water

when it needs it the most. Much like the agave plant, if we close ourselves off too soon, we may miss out

on what will sustain us. I can't help but think about how we as humans need many things, especially love, and yet, when it seems to be lacking, we are prone to give up and shut out the world.

I think this becomes even more likely when it seems like the world around us is lacking in love too.

When we witness people being unkind to one another, we might start to lose hope

that love and kindness can be restored. When we witness hatred and a lack of empathy coming from

people of importance, we might allow ourselves to be convinced that the world is not a safe place

for love. I know from personal experience that it's not always

easy to keep the heart open to love. It's not easy to witness the pain of the world and the

hopelessness or even to experience our own heartbreak without feeling the weight of those emotions. It's not as simple as just

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