[00:00:00] Deanna Kitchen: For you, what do you find happens in your life, in your heart when you're giving like this?
[00:00:10] Alicia Plante:It's a purpose, so it keeps me going and it really gives our entire family a purpose. In addition to fighting cancer, when you are torn down, you have a choice. You either walk through the fire with everything you have or you don't.
[00:00:22] Alicia Plante: And for me. Being able to continue gardening has allowed me to move forward with my life with purpose and intent and healing in a world that can be so dim and gray, we really have to be the light. We really do.
[00:00:39] Deanna Kitchen: Hey friend, welcome to the Growing Kindness Podcast. I'm your host Deanna Kitchen, founder of the Growing Kindness Movement.
[00:00:44] Deanna Kitchen: This is a place where we grow together learning to root our lives in kindness, connection, and community. If you've ever wished the world felt a little. Softer, a little more neighborly. Or if you're craving stories that remind you that goodness still grows, you're in the right place. Together with our guests, we'll share stories of generosity and community proof that even the smallest acts of kindness from growing and giving cut flowers to everyday acts of care can change lives and connect us in powerful ways.
[00:01:13] Deanna Kitchen: I'm so glad you're here. Let's get started. Thank you for being here with us today. It is my absolute. Honor and privilege to get to introduce today's guest. Her story has deeply touched my heart and her heart I know is going to deeply resonate with yours, and I'm so excited and so honored to introduce you to Alicia Plant today.
[00:01:40] Deanna Kitchen: Alicia, we are just so thrilled to have you here with us. Will you start by introducing yourself and sharing a little bit about who you are?
[00:01:48] Alicia Plante: Sure. I'm so thrilled also to be here. It's an absolute honor. I've been a part of growing kindness for a number of years now, and just sharing my journey along the way, and I'm looking forward to doing that today.
[00:02:02] Alicia Plante: So I'm a mother. I'm in my mid thirties. I live in a some small town in Tamworth, New Hampshire. Um. It's a little teeny village, little country fairs and lots of neighborly. Love. My daughter just turned four. I live here with my husband Marty, and parents live four minutes down the street. I was a business woman in the lending industry, um, and banking for about a decade, and then I encountered a cancer diagnosis along the way, and I've been giving and a part of growing kindness ever since then.
[00:02:40] Deanna Kitchen: I got to connect with you first through your giving journey, and it's been such a privilege to get to watch that unfold. Um, so was that what first drew you to growing and giving flowers, was when you received that diagnosis or were flowers a part of your life before that?
[00:03:01] Alicia Plante: So, flowers have always been a big part of my life.
[00:03:05] Alicia Plante: Um, I grew up growing vegetables and flowers and fruit in the garden since probably before I could walk, snapping green beans on the porch with my grandmother. Um, gardening has been a part of all of my family's life and many of ours out of necessity in life and. As time went on and you know, seasons change, food that you store and grow yourself just wasn't as common along with growing flowers at home.
[00:03:35] Alicia Plante: It was just always something we did and something that grew out of love for our family. Once it wasn't a necessity any longer. I was always known to my grandmother as her Posey picker, and that relationship with my grandmother is where I really developed in growing flowers. She taught me everything I knew, and we just really shared deeply in that connection our entire lives.
[00:03:59] Alicia Plante: So
[00:03:59] Deanna Kitchen: Alicia, clearly flowers have been an important part of your life from the very beginning. At what point did you start giving flowers as acts of kindness?
[00:04:09] Alicia Plante: Besides internally in my family, I would say it was summer of 2020 and in an Instagram scroll, I happened upon growing kindness. I don't even think we called it a for you page back in the day.
[00:04:25] Alicia Plante: I, you know, I don't even think we referred to it as that. Um. Happened upon a post about growing kindness and thought with this just as my hobby, I should be sharing this beauty out into the world. I'm not a shy person, obviously, if you couldn't get that. So I said, you know, I'm going to try to just cut and give them and make connection.
[00:04:49] Alicia Plante: Maybe be that crazy person in the parking lot chasing you, trying to hand do flowers. There were these lovely informational tags that were provided once I joined Growing Kindness, and it allowed me to, you know, attach something to my name and maybe make me a little less crazy by saying, you know, I am part of an organization, but you still have doubters out there and you still encounter.
[00:05:14] Alicia Plante: People that are afraid that there's something tied to being given something for free monetization of everything, there's always a, a cost to something. Um, so it's, I found it really difficult to give to people even with the help of the tax. But I would still be out there at grocery store, Walmart, and you would find people to take some.
[00:05:36] Alicia Plante: But again, I have to be honest with you, if somebody tried to give me flowers for free, I'd take them all day. Absolutely a hundred percent.
[00:05:43] Deanna Kitchen: I think that unexpected kindness is such a rarity, anymore. Unexpected kindness that's truly freely given. And because of that, people are a little guarded and it does, it does take a moment to kind of break through that wall and for people to see like, no, this is truly, truly for you, purely.
[00:06:05] Deanna Kitchen: For the hope that it brings you a little bit of joy and happiness. There are no strings attached, so you are not the only one who has bumped into that. I think just as a society, I think people are, our walls are up a lot and, and such a beautiful way to help bring them down, you
[00:06:23] Alicia Plante: know, through flowers.
[00:06:24] Alicia Plante: Absolutely. Spark conversation, make connection. That's what it's all about. That's in my belief, what we're here for and not with the intention. Or purpose of opening doors. But I am a big believer in karma and timing and putting good out, and I think it just truly makes the world a better place. Um, and putting good out instead of bad has to outweigh all of the negativity out there eventually.
[00:06:50] Alicia Plante: So, you know, we just absolutely continue to trudge through, push through. Being a hobby gardener, sometimes it's never enough, and you are one of those people at the garden center perusing plants you don't need. And this is definitely more than a hobby for me. I grew my own flowers for my wedding. I'd done a few events on the side for friends and weddings and and whatnot.
[00:07:14] Alicia Plante: So to have such surplus of flowers. See them go to waste, you know, after making bouquets was upsetting. So nothing better than to share the beauty that I've grown and my true life's work. People have professions and hobbies and, and if those two worlds collide, that's wonderful. And for me, mine was on the side.
[00:07:35] Deanna Kitchen: I think that's so normalizing though. I think. There's this really big push right now. I think, I dunno, I have felt it that to have a hobby just for the sake of it, bringing you joy or bringing others joy isn't enough. That it has to be more, that we have to monetize it, that we have to turn it into a profession.
[00:07:52] Deanna Kitchen: And I think there's such an important place for us to have things in our life that we have simply because they bring us joy or they allow us to share joy with other people. And like a, a flower garden is just such a beautiful example of that.
[00:08:06] Alicia Plante: Yes, yes. Some people choose to go to the gym frequently, have a personal trainer have a boat.
[00:08:13] Alicia Plante: My hobby is gardening. That's my work, you know? Then I'm like, well, it's my workout. It keeps me healthy, it keeps me, you know, it's the emotional levelness that I get from it, and you know, my own spiritual time as well in the garden, and making memories with your family for me in the garden is invaluable.
[00:08:31] Alicia Plante: Always has been, and now that I have a daughter, even more so, mm-hmm. I'm watching the next generations grow and give, my daughter has absolutely no inhibitions at four years old. She will walk up to people and give them flowers. We did it a few times this summer at a local concert, either river in our cute little town, and then she just clearly understood giving flowers.
[00:08:56] Alicia Plante: For me was cheering someone up, making their day a gift. So she would see someone upset and say, we should give them flowers, mom, you know, and we're, we're at this. I'm like, you're right. We really should. That's. So thoughtful.
[00:09:12] Deanna Kitchen: And she's learned that from your example, like what a beautiful thing that you've modeled for her that she's just picked that up from watching you.
[00:09:19] Deanna Kitchen: What a gift.
[00:09:20] Alicia Plante: It's truly a joy to have a child, but it extreme responsibility and I think. There's a lot of weight to be put into teaching them things young and expectations that we have. You know, to be respectful, kind humans to each other and not be shy. Make that connection. I think those are the strongest children as they become professionals and, and be adults that run the world to, again, make the connection, not be afraid to speak up for themselves or others.
[00:09:54] Alicia Plante: Mm-hmm. And spread joy and love.
[00:09:56] Deanna Kitchen: I love that. Well, you've taught her right away that when we see someone who's hurting. Or who's sad, we can do something. And I think that's such a powerful lesson to gift our children with, is that they feel capable of taking action and not just witnessing and observing and not knowing what to do.
[00:10:14] Deanna Kitchen: So what a beautiful gift you've given her. So she's growing and sharing flowers right alongside of you. She's
[00:10:20] Alicia Plante: growing and sharing. So Leah was born in 2021, I believe. You know, looking back that I had started with the project in summer of 2020, and then we went right into the pandemic. So, uh, you know, again, things were already difficult to give away with the no strings attached feeling, and then the pandemic hits and.
[00:10:44] Alicia Plante: You know, we're, we're all unable to see people and then giving became even harder. Nobody wants to touch the outside of a jar or a vase that you've touched. And how do you navigate trying to give through that? So one of the ways I started trying to give was through seed packs. So inexpensive online, you can get.
[00:11:05] Alicia Plante: You know, a large grouping of them. So I would have seeds that I had saved myself from plants I grew and just had the little seed cart says, you know, let love grow. And added one of the tags in the back and instructions on the inside. And I believe this is poppy seeds, so you know. Folks can start them and they now have instructions or people you know, who might be renters, might not own a home, might live somewhere where they don't have a garden or proper place to put the seeds.
[00:11:36] Alicia Plante: They, I said, you know, sprinkle it on the side of the road. Mm-hmm. Just spread joy and beauty and, you know, very much so. Mother Nature has a way, and, and if that flower is meant to bloom, it will. Just throw the seeds out there and see it grows. And being a gardener, we know a lot of times from the compost pile up grows, pumpkins, zucchinis.
[00:11:56] Alicia Plante: If something's going to grow, it's gonna, so, you know, just learning to navigate, um, and change up ways that. I give flowers, still perpetuates the project. So absolutely. Now that we're in the winter, and I'll, I'll circle back after this. We've started cuttings over here in the corner, which I'll grab for you, and I will take the plant cuttings and plant them with my daughter in little pots, and we'll give those away in the winter.
[00:12:23] Alicia Plante: Since we live somewhere where we can't grow in the winter,
[00:12:25] Deanna Kitchen: that's absolutely beautiful. I love that you've found ways to continue giving, even when there aren't flowers in season. So obviously giving is just, it has become a core part of who you are and. What you do and how you move through the world, what does it do for you?
[00:12:45] Deanna Kitchen: Obviously it's creating these open doors and connections in your communities. For you, what do you find happens in your life, in your heart when you're giving like
[00:12:55] Alicia Plante: this? It's a purpose. So becoming a mom in 2021, obviously. You know, becoming a parent changes your life. So continuing on my journey of giving them and growing with my daughter, giving on the side, it just gave me such joy.
[00:13:12] Alicia Plante: I still did it on a smaller scale because I was still working, but unfortunately in the fall of. 2022. Just about two weeks prior to my daughter's first birthday, I was diagnosed with stage four cholangiocarcinoma cancer. I had had a few symptoms for a few months that I ignored as being a young, healthy new mom.
[00:13:35] Alicia Plante: And, you know, we do know our bodies, but we live in them every day and, and it's something not to be ignored. So again, had had a perfect singleton healthy pregnancy and less than a year later I went to the ER on a Monday morning and scans quickly revealed a large mass the size of a grapefruit on my liver, along with two smaller ones.
[00:13:59] Alicia Plante: What is known as a numerable lung tumor, so all lobes of both of my lungs are filled with small tumors. Testing did of course show it was cholangiocarcinoma, which is commonly known as bile duct cancer. It's an extremely rare and aggressive cancer with a stark number of the five year survival rate of stage four, 2%.
[00:14:26] Alicia Plante: At this point in time, I did continue to work for a year, but my main focus was on getting active treatment and being a mom. So that was fall of 2021, but had still gardened all summer and I think the weekend before I had been out there cleaning up everything. So yes, cancer, but gardening still for my soul at the same time.
[00:14:48] Alicia Plante: Mm-hmm. Being a young mom. Is already difficult enough. Being an a YAA young adult, um, with cancer is extremely difficult. The two things tied together is much more of a burden to carry, but I think that's honestly what gives me the strength is, is being a mom and having her and losing a little bit of yourself along the way as a mom.
[00:15:15] Alicia Plante: A cancer patient is totally normal. But then I stopped working and for a very long time, my career was my identity. It was always something I worked towards, you know, being young, working in college. And so then when I didn't have that. I was lost mind. You always still had gardening on the side. So the summer after cancer diagnosis, I said, you know what?
[00:15:40] Alicia Plante: I'm really gonna actively try to grow and give more and more. They give me so much joy. They absolutely will give the cancer patients joy and. Being able to walk into a hospital where you're seeking treatment and you know, everyone, it's, it's a family. Also a small community hospital. I know everybody, so I'm able to walk in and hand staff and patients and people, I've run into flowers, so I no longer.
[00:16:10] Alicia Plante: Had that difficulty of handing them out. There are still people who are a little apprehensive, but the hospital staff, let me put up a little teeny cart and people can come and take the flowers as they want. Sometimes it engages conversation if I'm there. Sometimes I hand them out. Sometimes they're just there and sometimes the staff will.
[00:16:34] Alicia Plante: Just read the rum and see a patient who might want flowers isn't taking them, or somebody who needs their day brightened, didn't see the cart, and they will take the time to make sure that they're walking out of there with flowers. It's just beautiful.
[00:16:48] Deanna Kitchen: The ripples are kindness from, I just, I, I can't even just to picture the interactions and the engagements that are happening.
[00:16:58] Deanna Kitchen: That day in that hospital. Just from your generosity and sharing beauty is really incredible to imagine and consider like the lives that are being touched. And you know, you shared a little while ago about believing that. That we can put, you know, more good into the world. Like when you think about that in terms of just the ripples of kindness that move out from your single act of generosity in that day, it's really beautiful and inspiring.
[00:17:31] Alicia Plante: Thank you, and I have to give absolute kudos and praise to my family, especially my dad and my husband. It's an entire family fair as it's always been, but they really help to perpetuate this dream. For me, it's a dream come true. I always wanted to be a mom and. Being that career person, never thought I would have this much time or support to grow such gorgeous gardens at this capacity, and I could not do that without their help.
[00:18:01] Alicia Plante: There are times when I'm not the person weeding the garden or cutting the flowers. I might just be sitting making the arrangements. There are times I feel good and I'm out there. It keeps me going. It gives me purpose, and it really gives our entire family a purpose in addition to fighting cancer. I recently had my three year cancer anniversary.
[00:18:24] Alicia Plante: I'm an active chemotherapy treatment. I just had my 80th chemotherapy. That is the long haul hope is that you can stay on one regimen for as long as possible. There are other treatments out there available and trials and, and things that we can try when, when the time comes. I am an absolute unicorn. I am a living miracle.
[00:18:50] Alicia Plante: I did not think I would be here and to have received so much chemotherapy. The same regimen is very uncommon for people. So I am also extremely lucky that has held me this staple for this long. I'm not gonna downplay my fight. There are days that are not great, but there are times that are absolutely wonderful and that is part of the journey, and a lot of that comes from growing kindness for me.
[00:19:17] Alicia Plante: So it truly has given me purpose in a time when I was extremely lost. And again, not just me, but my family purpose. And like you said, the ripples into the community. It's just beautiful. I'm literally known as that crazy flower lady. People will be like, oh, you're the one. Oh, that's the one. Um, I hear stories from doctors and they're like, Hey, you know, I can't tell you about hipaa, but there's a lady who said.
[00:19:43] Alicia Plante: To tell you, you know, what gorgeous flowers and how much they appreciated it. So even if I'm not at the hospital, I'm getting these stories from them. And also changing the perspective of patients, doctors, staff, you know, if there's extra flowers, they take them home. People are like, oh, Dolly's not my favorite.
[00:20:03] Alicia Plante: I'm like, well then take them home with you. So it's, it's so important. And in a world that can be so dim and gray, we really have to be the light. We really do.
[00:20:14] Deanna Kitchen: There really is, I think it, it goes to show that there really is no such thing as a small act of kindness. It may have taken us less effort. You know, there's things that we can do that are so simple and small, or seemingly small, but the impact.
[00:20:30] Deanna Kitchen: Is never small. It's incredible to hear just the response that people have when you hold out beauty and generosity that way when you are sharing. I couldn't help but think of a quote and I apologize. I don't remember who said it, but it was that when you don't know what to do for yourself, do for others,
[00:20:51] Alicia Plante: so beautiful
[00:20:52] Deanna Kitchen: and not just.
[00:20:53] Deanna Kitchen: To me just is dreams so true through your story that in feeling just all of the upheaval of your diagnosis, of leaving your career, of being in this, you know, the new days of being a mom, that instead of withdrawing you, move forward and into the community and did something for others and in return. It's given you so much joy and been such an anchor in your life.
[00:21:20] Deanna Kitchen: And that for me has been very much my experience. It's why growing kindness the movement exists is because that was what was happening in my life, but in, in a very small and very different way. And so to hear that you found that kind of joy through giving and that. Being able to grow and give flowers has given you an anchor through this season is it's just an incredible reminder of how powerful such a simple thing is.
[00:21:49] Alicia Plante: It really is, and I'm so touched and honored, and it was just meant to be, you know, that you created this. And it ties a name to so many of us people who are really crazy flower people at the end of the day. And it, it really, it does give just so much purpose and it gives a little bit more direction. And I think it really brings it out in people.
[00:22:15] Alicia Plante: It, it's, again, it is an organization and through that we are a more organized group of people and it allows others to give through it. One way is people will bring me bottles, oh, hey, I have a box of jars and you know, anti bottles in the basement. Can I bring those to you of, of course. And I'll say, you know, please know, you know, these went to the oncology department and you're perpetuating giving in the world.
[00:22:41] Alicia Plante: And so for people who feel that they don't have a way. They are. And yeah. And I really try to take the time to remind them that they're helping me with that.
[00:22:52] Deanna Kitchen: Um,
[00:22:52] Alicia Plante: that's so
[00:22:52] Deanna Kitchen: beautiful. And it's just a reminder again, that one said, ripple of kindness is set forth in the world. We really don't know how far it's gonna go or who it's gonna touch.
[00:23:03] Deanna Kitchen: And so you taking action in your, in your way, in your community has inspired others to move in kindness and generosity also, which is just so beautiful.
[00:23:15] Alicia Plante: Um, I do have a couple things prepared to share, um, my goodness, social, like, show and tell. I love it. I'm here for it. One of the ways that other people have given tied to growing kindness, so there was a young couple and very unfortunate that the husband, they had just gotten married.
[00:23:35] Alicia Plante: They're a little bit younger than me. The, the husband had been diagnosed with cancer this summer. Loveliest loveliest couple had so much joy that came from sitting with them and talking. And here we are receiving cancer treatments and the worst circumstances bring out the best connection. And a lot of that rings true with having cancer and, um, groups with cancer also.
[00:24:00] Alicia Plante: Um, I have the best people in my life, um, that share a diagnosis. I'm much like you. I've never met them in person. Um, so one thing, sharing. So this lovely young couple, the wife started bringing in river rocks from their house and painting them and then decorating them and writing sayings on them to spread joy and happiness and put them on the stand with the flowers that I had to give away at the hospital.
[00:24:27] Alicia Plante: So this one says, happiness held is the seed. Happiness shared is the flower. And just so beautiful. And they all had little inspirational quotes or things like that, and just she thought of a way in an inexpensive way that she could spread joy and love and, you know, somebody not cutting flowers, she did these rocks and it goes along with putting them, you know, mine's in my kitchen.
[00:24:55] Alicia Plante: Um, but I, I can put them in the garden. Yeah. So it ties in with growing kindness and it didn't, wasn't something that she necessarily had to grow. So finding that way to give is important in your own way. However, that is opening the door, sparking conversation, helping back groceries for somebody. If you know an elderly person lying in front of you and then staff is busy, uh, you know, then you're helping a whole group of people, a whole host, just be better and do better.
[00:25:28] Deanna Kitchen: Yeah. There's opportunities before us every day if we're just willing to see them and then be willing. There's a, and a certain element of courage, I think. Involved with reaching out and being kind, which seems funny 'cause I don't think we maybe necessarily always pair courage and kindness together, but it does take a willingness to step out of our comfort zone and to reach out and make that initial contact or give or offer, you know, whatever it is.
[00:25:58] Deanna Kitchen: But I love your reminder to us all is that it doesn't have to be complicated. It can be whatever is within. Our reach and our ability. I share this quote all the time with our team. They're probably already laughing and smiling as they hear me say this 'cause they're not going to know exactly what I'm going to say.
[00:26:17] Deanna Kitchen: But Arthur Ash and the quote is, start where you are, use what you have, do what you can. And I think that's just such a. Beautiful reminder to us all through the garden rocks, through your flowers, through those who are sharing, by giving bases. That really truly, if we trust that what we have to give will be enough, we give in ways that that really have an impact.
[00:26:39] Deanna Kitchen: And so it's just trusting in what we have to give and being brave enough to reach out with it. I think that that's the hard part in the beginning.
[00:26:47] Alicia Plante: Absolutely. Just taking that jump, like you said, and putting yourself out there is extremely difficult for people. And to be honest, there are times when I'm not, you know, in the mood to make the connection.
[00:27:01] Alicia Plante: I'm, you know, especially at treatment, not feeling well and it's sometimes just still pull me out of that funk and I still have that conversation, but. You know, again, leaving the door propped open. You know, even if you're not putting yourself out there a hundred percent, just make the world a better place.
[00:27:22] Alicia Plante: Pick up a loose piece of trash. All of those things.
[00:27:26] Deanna Kitchen: Absolutely no such thing as a small act of kindness.
[00:27:29] Alicia Plante: There is not. So community is extremely important to me. Has always been, my daughter is a sixth generation resident of our town. Um, having history somewhere, having roots, extremely important to me as I dived deeper into a cancer diagnosis.
[00:27:49] Alicia Plante: You really see how big your village and community can be, and I am so blessed and I really take pride in living in an area where I can drive down the street and if I need help, I know five people are gonna drive by in five minutes and help me. And it could be my uncle, it could be, you know, a family friend, could be my dad.
[00:28:10] Alicia Plante: So it's just a wonderful place to be. And. I want to be able to give back to my community. Mm-hmm. Um, so I do focus my giving on where I live, but we have gone on vacations to the coast of Maine, which is very short distance from where we live and brought flowers with us and, you know, given them out in the drive through at the coffee place and donut shop, you know, at the beach I bring, I don't have any right now, but you know, I have, um, little, the vials for individual stems.
[00:28:40] Alicia Plante: To give away. Oh, fun. So instead of giving a large vase, you know, a glass can't bring that to the beach, um, we'll do the individual stems. And that's another great way to give. I think a lot of people are sometimes apprehensive because they don't wanna carry a vase around. So, great option, um, as a way to give as a single stem.
[00:29:01] Alicia Plante: Um. And one of the flowers that makes the most gorgeous cut flower for a single stem is the Dahlia. Mm-hmm. So that's been the end of the season here, has been giving dahlias. We're putting all the gardens to bed now. Yeah,
[00:29:17] Deanna Kitchen: it is. It's hard to say goodbye to the blooms, especially blooms like dahlias that people have such a strong reaction to.
[00:29:23] Deanna Kitchen: I don't think they're necessarily a flower that everyone's familiar with, and they just have such a striking. Beauty, it's fun to see people's responses in the realization that you grew that thing and want to gift it to them just in kindness, just so that they can enjoy beauty and, and feel encouraged in that.
[00:29:44] Deanna Kitchen: So yeah, it's a great flower for that, for sure. Absolutely.
[00:29:47] Alicia Plante: Real showstopper, conversation starter, all of the above. Definitely. Totally, totally. So I again, wanted to just emphasize, you know, um. Bridging the gap with strangers in your life, even if they are your neighbors building community. And you know, just being there for other people in any way that you can and how important that is.
[00:30:08] Alicia Plante: And in turn, I have been given so much beauty back in life. Um mm-hmm. And I think, um. You know, just changing someone's day is, is the best thing that you can do and changing their outlook in the world that we live in.
[00:30:23] Deanna Kitchen: I just, I have no words except for just to agree with you wholeheartedly and just be utterly inspired by your focus on.
[00:30:34] Deanna Kitchen: And planting seeds of kindness in the world when it would be so easy in the journey that you're navigating to say like, I need to focus entirely on taking care of myself. And instead, you're choosing to give and, and to spread kindness and to plant seeds that are gonna continue growing for a very, very long time.
[00:30:57] Deanna Kitchen: And I think that. There's nothing more beautiful than that. And it's just, it's an inspiration to get to hear, um, the way that you have allowed something that could, I don't even know if the words, but allowed something that could have. Than such a dark season to bring so much light into your life and into other people's
[00:31:20] Alicia Plante: lives.
[00:31:20] Alicia Plante: When you are torn down, you have a choice. And I try to remember this because I often feel that there is no choice but to fight and go forth, but there is a choice at the end of the day. And, and, um, when you are torn down, you either walk through the fire with everything you have or you don't. And for me, being able to continue gardening has allowed me to move forward with my life with purpose and intent and healing, not only spiritually and mentally, but physically.
[00:31:57] Alicia Plante: Gardening, you know, not gonna play this course. I'm gonna sound like my parents here, or the news. Gardening is such a healthy way to, you know, low load bearing exercise and to stay physically fit and. I will never run again. I will never lift weights again. I'll never work out in a regular way, but there are modified ways that I'm able to continue gardening and that it is keeping me healthy, and I do truly believe that.
[00:32:26] Alicia Plante: I believe that's one of the reasons I am a unicorn. I am still here and along with all of the other Carmen and spiritual things that come along with it and good feelings that you get that. Is such a stress reducer to your body, and I feel that that is such a large contributor to so many of the health consequences that we see today in the world, including cancer in a young person who is seemingly extremely healthy only on vitamins their entire life.
[00:32:56] Alicia Plante: It was actually my first trip to the er. No
[00:32:59] Deanna Kitchen: way. Yeah. Wow. Absolutely. What an absolute shock. Yes. That entire, entire diagnosis must have been. Yes,
[00:33:10] Alicia Plante: absolutely. And every day is new, but gardening is consistently there in my life. And the seasons may change. We change along with it. And, and so many metaphors that go along with gardening.
[00:33:21] Alicia Plante: Oh my gosh. But you know, as we, we put this season to bed, we're still able to look forward to and plan next season. And. Before you know it, it's time to start seeds in the basement and Dahlia tubers out in the garage. So we have a big annual garden. I start everything from seeds and I wanna say first week of April, I always do more each year when I say I am not going to, and every year.
[00:33:51] Alicia Plante: They, you know, my family, my team gripes that it's more, but it is what, it's so, you know, doing all of the inventory lists, seeing what I have right now keeps me going for this season and being able to propagate plants, like I said, and do seed packets. Gives me something to do for the winter to give away.
[00:34:10] Alicia Plante: And of course I'm still involving my daughter in all of this. So, so she can give, which is the best. And then, you know, in the spring we start M again and, and we'll be right back into growing and giving.
[00:34:22] Deanna Kitchen: It's absolutely beautiful and it's absolutely such an important reminder to us all that. When we go out to nurture a garden, it actually nurtures us in return.
[00:34:34] Deanna Kitchen: So if someone was listening today who's never grown a garden, I mean, obviously anyone can move in the world and spread kindness in any way. But if they were listening and feeling inspired to grow a flower garden for the first time, to be able to have flowers to give in their community. What would be your advice to someone?
[00:34:54] Deanna Kitchen: Like what's a one takeaway that you wish that someone would've told you when you were first starting out?
[00:34:59] Alicia Plante: I would start with two old wise tale quotes. One being that there is no such thing as a green thumb. Everyone can have a green thumb. That one's a misconception. Everyone can have a green thumb and.
[00:35:13] Alicia Plante: The reason I believe that is because another old wives tale quote, uh, mother Nature has a way. Mother nature always will find a way if the plant was meant to be. So go easy on yourself. Just like with growing kindness, just put yourself out there and start a couple seed doing research online. Start with something easy.
[00:35:34] Alicia Plante: Try to start small. Try to start with an annual versus a perennial if you don't have the space. Um, and, and just go ahead and start. And if it doesn't come up, try to plant a couple more seeds. We all have failures in life. Um, and I've had to restart seeds numerous times. You know, even the old pros this summer said, oh my gosh, they've never had a season so tough on their dahlias.
[00:36:00] Alicia Plante: I've been growing dahlias for years. I joined a Facebook group for growing Dahlias because I'm, I was just beside myself at their condition, so just know that it's okay if it doesn't come up and just keep trying again.
[00:36:16] Deanna Kitchen: I love that. That's beautiful wisdom. Alicia. It has been an absolute inspiration. I feel so encouraged by getting to hear your story today.
[00:36:28] Deanna Kitchen: I think it is.
[00:36:33] Deanna Kitchen: When we move in kindness, not only do we impact the life of the giver and the receiver, but there's this beautiful experience, a ripple effect, and whenever anybody gets to witness or hear. Those acts of kindness, it touches our hearts and moves us as well. And I am so thankful for you being here today to share your story and the power of your story.
[00:37:01] Deanna Kitchen: And I know that it is going to continue to ripple out in the world and uplift and encourage people and hopefully inspire them to do even one small thing in kindness. I know that everyone here listening today would love to know more of how they can hear more of your story and connect with more of your journey.
[00:37:22] Deanna Kitchen: Can you share with us how we can do that? Absolutely.
[00:37:26] Alicia Plante: It's an incredible honor, first of all, to be a part of the podcast and growing kindness. I am so grateful that you took the leap for so many of us to follow behind, and it, it just took. That one little action, um, which huge action really an undertaking every day of your life.
[00:37:44] Alicia Plante: But it's so, so, so appreciated. To have an organization to tie my name to that is making such a difference. I'm so grateful. And through that, the universe has opened so many doors for me in ways to give action, emphasis and making connection with. Just wonderful human beings. One of the ways that you can read my story is through a book that recently, um, was released and it's from a fellow grown with kindness grower named Kelly.
[00:38:18] Alicia Plante: Just an incredible honor to be included by her and thought of to be in her book, and just sharing my story helps perpetuate and bring awareness to young. Women with cancer, which it's, you know, frequently something that goes under the radar. And as well, cholangiocarcinoma, just being able to put your message out there increases awareness for everybody.
[00:38:43] Alicia Plante: We want everyone to take care of themselves. And also, at the end of the day, founding, the more research we have, the more cures that we have, the more options, the longer everyone gets to be here. Um, and that is the goal. So one of the ways, again, is reading my story in Kelly's book. I'm also soon going to be featured in a podcast for the patient's story, and you can check them out on Instagram and they share stories of cancer patients from all around the globe, all walks of life, all types of cancer.
[00:39:13] Alicia Plante: And also you can find me as queen. Plant, P-L-A-N-T-E on Instagram. That just so happens to be my married, last name. Um, I really snagged him. Once I met him. Just, it was too perfect. Again, you know, karma brought his last name to me, um, and the universe brought it to me, so I love it. It was meant to be. Yeah,
[00:39:35] Deanna Kitchen: it really was.
[00:39:36] Deanna Kitchen: Yes, Alicia, I am so looking forward to continuing, um, following along with your story. It is an encouragement to me every day. I am so grateful that you took the time to be here and to share your story with us. You, like we talked about, it takes a leap of courage and vulnerability to be able to step out and do those things.
[00:39:57] Deanna Kitchen: So thank you for stepping into that place with us here today. As we close today, I would love to hear from you. What's one small thing that someone once did for you? Uh, an act of kindness maybe, well, maybe small, maybe big. That still stays in your heart today.
[00:40:15] Alicia Plante: I think for me it's extremely difficult because again, I, I've spoken to how large my community and my base is, and in having.
[00:40:26] Alicia Plante: Cancer. I am so incredibly supported by organizations, locals, my community, my family, my friends, just so incredibly supported in always. But there's somebody who was, um, a friend in life, wasn't a very close friend, but you know, we stayed in contact over the years a little bit. Um. He had had a baby around the same time, or his, his wife, excuse me.
[00:40:58] Alicia Plante: And he had had a baby around the same time that I did. And upon finding out my diagnosis, sent me a message and said, Hey, I'm having these meals shipped to your house. And it was within the first couple weeks. And just that he took the time and, you know, funds to do that. And it wasn't somebody I had really stayed in contact with.
[00:41:18] Alicia Plante: So many meals were sent, of course, but this one specific person, I just never would've guessed it. And that he took the time in knowing, you know, that our, our circumstances were similar and he sympathized with how hard it was being a new parent. I know. I, I think it spoke to him in a different way and not really, just his support floored me.
[00:41:39] Alicia Plante: It was just somebody I, I really wouldn't have expected it from. So. I think, you know, a part of the message in growing and giving and stepping out of your boundaries, um, is also to give people grace and, you know, sometimes the least expected people are the most generous and kindhearted. So just because sometimes people seem closed off, those are sometimes the people that are the first to step up to the plate.
[00:42:04] Alicia Plante: So yeah, that's one that really sticks out to me, but I'm. A horrible question. Uh, it's a horrible question to ask somebody like me who feels so supported in my community, but there are numerous, endless stories like that for me, and I am truly, I'm truly blessed.
[00:42:21] Deanna Kitchen: I think it's just a beautiful reminder. You are moving through the world with a keen awareness of the power of kindness, and so you have collected so many stories of impact in your life.
[00:42:34] Deanna Kitchen: Because of your sensitivity to the power of kindness. I just want to thank you from the bottom of our heart for being here and sharing today, but more than that for being you and for moving through the world with the kindness that you spread.
[00:42:52] Alicia Plante: Thank you. We all want our stories shared in life. We don't wanna be forgotten.
[00:42:58] Alicia Plante: We wanna leave a le a little bit of a legacy. We wanna be remembered, and thank you for saying that in that way because. Truly what I want to be remembered for is spreading joy, kindness, and changing people's perspectives. I want people to start living for today, and like you said, being aware, and I'm okay with being that example, if that was my calling.
[00:43:23] Deanna Kitchen: Oh, goodness. How do you, how do you respond
[00:43:26] Alicia Plante: except you say thank you. I, I, I wrote a Facebook post at one point in time. It said, um, I have broad shoulders. And if this is the weight that I have to bear, then it is. And I'm truly like the luckiest, unlucky person. I really am. And that's how I feel all the time.
[00:43:46] Alicia Plante: I'm living proof that you can still live your dreams and it might be in a modified way, but I'm living my dreams. I'm living my best life every day. And that is so important. And so if I can give along the way, ugh. That's, that's just wonderful. I love that. Love that for me. Love that life. I'm really lucky.
[00:44:05] Alicia Plante: And, and I, I also know that it is time consuming and I would not be able to give this way if I didn't have cancer.
[00:44:12] Deanna Kitchen: Mm-hmm.
[00:44:13] Alicia Plante: Um, it's, again, it's, it's my purpose because I, I now have more time to do that, and it's something that I can do.
[00:44:19] Deanna Kitchen: Alicia, you're an absolute inspiration. I mean, personally for me, thank you for.
[00:44:25] Deanna Kitchen: Choosing to live the way that you are living. I mean, I've been falling along with your story for many years now, and I will be honest, I actually, I have never told anybody, like publicly this. I took two weeks off in June. I walked away from everything with the intention that I was gonna quit. Like I just, I, it was, it's just been, it's a lot.
[00:44:46] Deanna Kitchen: Um, I can't imagine. And yet, and yet. When I get to hear your story and when I would see like your Facebook posts, it would be our Instagram, whatever, wherever, whatever world we're living in. Um, it was a reminder to me over and over again that the little things that we do really do have power and they really do matter.
[00:45:09] Deanna Kitchen: And so I just wanna say for me personally, thank you for encouraging me through your story to keep going. I, it means so much.
[00:45:17] Alicia Plante: Being vulnerable gives me strength personally. Mm-hmm. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I cannot internalize anything because I can't. I just can't deal. And I think, I think three years on with cancer has desensitized me to a lot in life.
[00:45:37] Alicia Plante: I can imagine. Yeah. But I think the people who are just honest and raw. And vocalize things are just, you have such strength. You really do, and I'm so grateful that you're doing this because again, for me, it, it's one of those things where like, I'm lazy sometimes and I, I just can't get my shit together sometimes.
[00:46:01] Alicia Plante: Mm-hmm. Before cancer or not. And that's everybody. And so, oh, right. A hundred percent being. You know, allowing yourself to be like that also is a strength. And I really had to develop that because that was not something, I was never like that. Mm-hmm. And I really had to learn how to give myself grace. I expected a lot of myself and couldn't do it.
[00:46:22] Alicia Plante: Yeah. And I think. That's half of my battle. It's my biggest, my biggest. It's all these patterns and the same things over and over. My biggest strengths are my biggest weaknesses, and they always have a hundred percent them and they always will be.
[00:46:35] Deanna Kitchen: Yep. I think that's true for all of us,
[00:46:37] Alicia Plante: right? Oh my God.
[00:46:38] Alicia Plante: Yeah. And so getting out of my own way and like giving myself grace are really hard. And I'm also really hard on my husband, and it's because I'm externalizing all of my stuff onto him and my frustration with maybe myself onto him, and it's, it's really hard. It's hard, but it's. I, and then I'm like, I also don't know if that's also just where we are in life, because I think it's hard for everybody.
[00:47:06] Alicia Plante: So I always try to take the cancer identity out of it because these are things that everybody goes through.
[00:47:12] Deanna Kitchen: A hundred percent, I would say. I will say as like my husband and I'll have our 25th wedding anniversary. Next church is wild. Um, do the math. We got married really young. Um, but the season that we went through the, that was the hardest was when our kids were really little and we were, I would say like.
[00:47:28] Deanna Kitchen: Seven years, like seven to 10, seven to 12. Were it just, and that's just what. Not, that's not with having to navigate a cancer diagnosis like that, just marriage was hard in those years. Yeah. Everything, everything's hard. Like it's just, there's seasons, but I just love your perspective, you know, to just look for the good in it and be vulnerable enough to say like, this is, you know, this is real.
[00:47:54] Deanna Kitchen: Like it is, this is what it is right now.
[00:47:56] Alicia Plante: Yeah, totally. You know, one of the things that we talked about was like, it's just sometimes not an option and so you. Did the right thing by taking a break and in your heart saying, when I, you know, I know you and you give everything your all, and you, you know, we all sometimes need a break and have to have grace with ourselves so that we can continue showing up.
[00:48:19] Deanna Kitchen: Mm-hmm. I'm
[00:48:20] Alicia Plante: a firm believer in that now. I a hundred percent protecting your peace. All of it.
[00:48:25] Deanna Kitchen: Yeah. I think we have a lot of women in our organization who are pretty hard on themselves. I think we all, because we wanna do the most with what we have. Whether that's career, whether that's in our families, whether that's in giving, in our friendships in our communities, and so we have high expectations of ourself.
[00:48:43] Deanna Kitchen: And so it's like how do we honor that but also truly recognize that it's okay to just show up messy. Like that's the whole point is to show up. Messy, you know,
[00:48:54] Alicia Plante: and I love that word that you used, accountability, because I honestly like sometimes need that now, always been a go-getter. But I do find myself withdrawn sometimes, even though I am still out there giving, and I wouldn't, I would go months without posting and everyone would be like, are you, is lic Alicia alive?
[00:49:12] Alicia Plante: Like, and I know, you know, I'm sure they've told you and. It was this, it was a hard summer emotionally, I think, but we were literally, we were living our best life. Mm-hmm. And my daughter is four going on 14. I swear. She's like three kids. You know, they say God only gives you what you can handle. I think maybe we were only supposed to have one kid.
[00:49:36] Alicia Plante: Um, she is. Demanding center of attention. So much fun. She would come home every day and say, what are we doing? Like, just so used to adventuring and going and doing things that like being home. She was like, okay, well like are we going the boat? Are we going to the beach? Are we going to the lake? What are we doing?
[00:49:55] Alicia Plante: And we're not, not doing something. And I'd be like, okay, well we're doing, you know, so we lived our best life and I'm super proud of myself. Good for you. But at the same time, I also did not do the things I wanted to do and was not active in the group the way I wanted to be. And not just this group, but my other cancer groups.
[00:50:13] Deanna Kitchen: Yeah.
[00:50:13] Alicia Plante: And didn't post online the way I wanted and would move things off my to-do list every day and just not do them.
[00:50:20] Deanna Kitchen: I say good for you because like you said, you lived your best summer yet like sometimes we put so much pressure on ourselves to be so many things for so many people, and yet. We actually, I mean, I think it's an interesting dynamic 'cause it's like that you can't pour from an empty cup.
[00:50:37] Deanna Kitchen: And yet at the same time there is that dimension of like, pouring fills us up. Like, you know, like giving does bring joy to us, but that sense of pressure that like, well I've gotta do you were giving, you were giving beautifully, you know, like also Yes. And yet, like, I've gotta document, I've gotta share it.
[00:50:52] Deanna Kitchen: I've gotta encourage other, you know, like I think sometimes we make it. Harder than it has to be.
[00:50:57] Alicia Plante: I also need to be held accountable a little. Like I also need something. Yeah. There is that For all of us. Yeah. To tie me in. To bring me out so I'm not withdrawn.
[00:51:06] Deanna Kitchen: Yeah. I mean, you have to be willing to accept that, like everything's not just gonna be this constant cycle of.
[00:51:11] Deanna Kitchen: Thriving and growing. Like there's gonna be a time where we have to release things and then you go through the reflection period where it's quiet, you're not doing things, but you're reflecting, you're learning, and then you're getting ready in that rest, you know, for the next season. And I just think for ourselves, I was like.
[00:51:28] Deanna Kitchen: That's like, I need that for me to remember that we don't have to always be on, like we don't always have to be. Someone once told me too, it's okay to be growing while others are blooming. And I love that phrase of just, it's okay, we don't have to be blooming every day all the time. Like it's okay for us to take the students where we take two weeks off.
[00:51:46] Deanna Kitchen: Yeah. Or take the summer off of social media or whatever. Because it's, we're nurturing something else and that was what's needed in that season. And there'll be another season
[00:51:55] Alicia Plante: I where my kid won't wanna hang out with me anymore.
[00:51:57] Deanna Kitchen: Yeah,
[00:51:57] Alicia Plante: yeah. And it's already like, I feel like there, and it would, you know, so we, we did, we live our absolute best life this summer.
[00:52:05] Alicia Plante: She, she's one of those like. Get off your phone. Mom like has said that to me. Oh, hot bail. Do you? Yeah. So I'm like, all right. Like, you know, I'm, this is what I wanted in life. These are so why I don't live with any regrets. Again, it's such a great perspective to be able to have, and. I was able to take that time and feel good about it, and I'm so glad that I did.
[00:52:27] Alicia Plante: Yep. I'm so grateful we got to do this. The face to face today, it's been same, you know, too long of a knowing without meeting, so I'm so glad. I'm so glad.
[00:52:38] Deanna Kitchen: For sure. I love this. Thank you for sharing everything that you shared. Yeah. Okay. I hope you have a wonderful afternoon. Thank you for spending this time with me.
[00:52:45] Deanna Kitchen: Thank you. Big love. Oh, goodbye. Bye. Back at you. Okay, bye. Take care. Thank you so much for listening to the Growing Kindness Podcast. It means the world that you take the time to be here every time you show up, every time you listen in, community grows. If today's episode encouraged you, there are a few simple ways to keep growing kindness with us.
[00:53:04] Deanna Kitchen: First, you can join the team. When you become a growing kindness gardener, you link arms with like-minded like-hearted people from all around the world who believe that small acts of kindness really do make a big difference. As a gardener, you'll receive access to resources, inspiration, and connection to help you grow and give flowers is acts of kindness in your corner of the world.
[00:53:24] Deanna Kitchen: It's for you to join. Another way to get involved is to become a donor. This podcast is made possible by the generosity of our donors. Kindhearted people who believe just like you, that stories of goodness are worth sharing. If you'd like to help us share more stories, just like today's visit growing kindness project.org/donate to make a gift and keep kindness blooming, we'd love to stay connected with you.
[00:53:46] Deanna Kitchen: You can sign up for our newsletter or find us on Instagram at Growing Kindness Project. We'd love to keep in touch and cheer you on as you grow kindness in your community. And finally. If this episode touched your heart, would you share it with a friend? It's one of the simplest ways to spread kindness today.
[00:54:02] Deanna Kitchen: I'm so grateful you're here. Until next time, keep growing kindness. One bloom at a time.
