Lady Bird Johnson - The environment is where we all meet; where we all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share
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Welcome to The Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm your host, Andrew McGivern, for May 12th, 2025 It’s International Plant Health Day, which—let’s be honest—doesn’t exactly scream “party” at first glance. But before you scroll on in search of National Donut Day, give plants a second to plead their case. They're the unsung heroes of our planet, turning sunlight into food, purifying the air, and generally keeping Earth from turning into a dusty rock with Wi-Fi. And in their honor, today’s quote is from Lady Bird Johnson, who once said:
“The environment is where we all meet; where we all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share.”
Now, Lady Bird might not have been talking about your favorite fiddle leaf fig or that suspicious-looking basil plant on your windowsill, but her words ring true. The health of our environment—starting with the smallest seedling—affects all of us. It doesn’t matter where you live, what you believe, or how often you forget to water your succulents. We all breathe the same air, drink from the same water cycle, and depend on plants in one way or another.
So International Plant Health Day isn't just about reminding farmers to rotate crops or scientists to monitor pests. It’s about reminding you that plant health is your health. It’s the apple in your lunch, the tree shading your walk, the coffee in your cup. (Yes, even caffeine lovers owe a debt of gratitude to chlorophyll.)
So what can you do today? Water something. Compost something. At the very least, notice something green and living. If you're really feeling inspired, whisper a kind word to your houseplant. They won’t answer, but it’s cheaper than therapy.
I used to love having a ton of houseplants. I had so many that my apartment was starting to look like a jungle. Plants have a relaxing effect and there are a lot of health benefits associated with being around plants. But these days it is hard to keep a lot of indoor plants because we have a couple cats and they love to destroy whatever my favourite plant is... and I like all of them. And it isn't just hat they destroy them, it is that most plants are toxic to cats. You might say, well... problem solved. But I happen to like our cats. So now we have a limited number of plants to choose from and have to put them where the cats can't get to them and cats can get pretty much anywhere they want to be. Hence... not very many plants for us.
I'm Andrew McGivern, signing off for today, but I'll be back tomorrow - same pod time, same pod station with another Daily Quote.