5 Good Things About Mud

I’m sitting here trying to think of some good things about mud.

This hasn’t been easy, because it’s mud season and that means anyone on a farm is up to their eyeballs in mud (unfortunately, sometimes quite literally). But I know that one way to deal with something you dislike is to consider its good points and focus on those.

So here are the good points I have so far. Let’s start focusing.

#1: Mud is versatile. Sometimes it’s so thick and sticky that it swallows your boot in a suction of surprising intensity. And sometimes it’s slick and slippery, so instead of grinding you to a halt, it sends you sliding and gliding in one swift motion. That’s versatility and is pretty impressive for something as mundane as mud. You have to give it credit for diversifying its skills.

#2: Mud is enchanting. You see, mud smells like spring and spring equals enchanting things like flowers and green grass and baby bunnies. Therefore, by association, mud must also be enchanting (?).

#3: Mud doesn’t last long. (Except sometimes it does. I feel like this one only counts as half a point.)

#4: Mud helps worms. Who wouldn’t want to help a worm, especially when worms help us so immensely in the garden? Yay, mud! Yay, worms! Besides worms, mud is also helpful to many other creatures like dragonflies (at egg-laying time) and robins (at nesting time).

#5: Mud helps us. Some research has shown that mud helps boost our immune systems, which is pretty good news for those of us who spend so much time in and around it. Now we can remind ourselves that our immune systems are growing stronger and healthier with each and every sticky or slippery step. We won’t even care when mud splashes on our faces. (Full transparency: I will still care.)

And now that I’ve convinced myself that mud is a delightfully versatile and enchanting short-lived occurrence that is not only helpful to worms, bugs, and birds, but also will help shape and mold me immunologically—well, what’s not to like?