dirt happy

Before I quit my job and left Canada for this journey into wholeness and homesteading, I met someone who told me about something that I've been thinking about ever since. He said that he had read an article about how the microorganisms in the dirt make you happy. I haven't read that article, mostly because he never sent it to me as promised. A quick internet search shows me that not only was he right, but there are numerous articles that attest to this fact.

To be honest, though, I don't need an article or researchers to tell me what I've experienced on my own. And how do we know it's just the microorganisms that make us happy, and not the sun or the fresh air or the sound of birds or the satisfaction of doing something tangibly productive or the benefits of doing physical work?

What I do know is that while I've been working the land, I've been happier for no particular reason. I know that I've gained insight into Biblical analogies and stories that have deepened my connection with God. I know that I've been nourished by the vegetables I've grown. I know that I've had side benefits of cuddling sheep who are near where I feed weeds to our chickens.

Hands crusted with dirt, sun on my face, pushing a wheelbarrow. Yes, these things make me happy.