My parents used to own a landscaping business together. My mom would work with the clients to understand their vision, my dad would organize the workers and deal with the sprinkler systems and they would both work the earth. In New Mexico, she managed a similar business, but it was here that I got to be of help because I had outgrown my tendency to uproot pretty, freshly-planted flowers. She had a feel for the land, whether it was in how she guided her clients in seeing the curves and texture of the land, how she never forced the land but rather brought forth its most inspiring qualities, or how she could cozy up huge boulders so that they cuddled together just right. There was one site we went to once a year where I would help her prune the trees and shrubs along some local street shops. For the most part, my mom and I bonded through work. There were always things to get done, whether it was taming the chaos of our house indoors and out, or landscaping at a client’s home. So pruning was one medium through which we connected. My mom got to teach me some of her life skills and we got to be outdoors, enjoying the sunshine all the while earning some wages. - Clara