Be a gardener,
dig a ditch,
toil and sweat,
and turn the earth upside down
and seek the deepness
and water the plants in time.
Continue this labour
and make sweet floods to run
and noble and abundant fruits
to spring.
Take this food and drink
and carry it to God
as your true worship.

Julian of Norwich (circa 1373), age 30 at the time of writing, is considered one of the great mystics of the Middle Ages and author of the first book written by a woman in the English language.