Sharing What Really Matters

“Come to the orchard in Spring.
There is light and wine, and sweethearts
in the pomegranate flowers.

If you do not come, these do not matter.
If you do come, these do not matter.”
— Rumi, from the poem "A Great Wagon"

There’s a kind of invitation woven through our work in healthcare—an unspoken call to show up for each other not just with skill, but with soul. Rumi’s final lines in A Great Wagon echo this truth. He paints a vibrant scene of abundance—Spring with light, wine, and a blossoming pomegranate orchard—then flips it on its head. These lines wonderfully capture that it is our presence together that is essential, and material things, even as wonderful and beautiful as they are, serve simply as a backdrop.

I think of the many times I’ve walked into a colleague’s office to discuss a challenging or difficult situation, to share about a particularly touching moment that happened with a patient, or just entering and sitting without knowing why—or they coming into my office to do the same, innately knowing the importance of being there, of seeking out each other’s presence.  And how even if there is only silence, with no fixing or advising, something important and real happens, somehow anchoring me back into the shared humanity of it all. The orchard, Rumi seems to say, is not the goal. The beauty is when we show up for one another, and the whole world shifts—regardless of what we say or do.

Our work asks a great deal of us—physically, emotionally, spiritually, relationally—and provides much in return, such as the satisfaction of helping people get better, that feeling of making a really astute diagnosis, financial security, and even social status. And while we may chase the light, the wine, the symbols of success or meaning, none of it matters if we’re disconnected. Likewise, even in the absence of clarity or perfection, when we show up for each other—with presence, vulnerability, and care—something sacred unfolds. Not because we solved anything, but because we didn’t turn away.

Consider peer connection as our professional orchard. It’s not a place we visit when we have everything figured out or have it all together—it’s the space we enter again and again because sharing the journey is what really matters, especially when we’re feeling uncertain, overwhelmed, or alone but also when we’re feeling grateful, grounded, and energized. It’s where the flowers bloom not because we earn them or even “deserve” them, but because we provide light and Spring for each other.  It is in the showing up together that we find renewal—not from escaping our work, but by being seen in the midst of it.  

So this week, come to the orchard. Not for the wine or the blossoms, but for the simple act of presence. Come for your own sake, and for the sake of those walking beside you. And remember: if you do come, all the rest will take care of itself. If you don’t, none of it will truly matter. Let your presence with each other be your offering. That, in the end, is more than enough.