Mushrooms are fascinating. They take root and grow in decayed wood. Nourished by rotting and decomposed matter, they flourish. Admirably, I used to think of myself as someone who had decayed and rotted to the point of no return. But mushrooms grow in such places. They don’t become mold but instead grow by processing and embracing decay. “Let’s become a mushroom,” I thought, and it gave me strength.

Yes, indeed.

When leaves fall and decay, they turn into fertile soil. Leaves that do not decay cannot nurture other life. Trees must die and decay for mushrooms to grow. There is a difference between decay and fermentation. Decay means to rot and disappear, whereas fermentation causes a transformation into a new level of existence. The strength to process and endure—that is the vitality of mushrooms.