The Mighty Tepary Bean

Preface: This story uses the resilience of the tepary bean as a metaphor for life with chronic illness, illustrating how healing and thriving are possible even in the harshest circumstances. It’s an invitation to discover practical and communal wisdom for uncertain times

Written by Ashley Babcock, Co-Author of The Triumph Program, Chronically Thriving Ed. Photograph: davesgarden.com

Describing much of the Sonoran Desert of Northern Mexico as hot is an understatement. In some areas, annual rainfall is as minimal as 2-5 inches, and summer temperatures often soar beyond 118 degrees Fahrenheit. Despite these scorching conditions, dessert agriculture thrives with the tepary plant, which was cultivated by ancient Native Americans. This remarkable legume not only survives but flourishes in extreme heat.

Though this small, wrinkled legume may not have the best looks, it offers significant nutritional benefits. When the unforgiving sun blazes down, the tepary plant extends its roots up to 6 feet deep into the soil to access water. Its vibrant green leaves are capable of flourishing in temperatures above 110 degrees, contracting at sunrise to retain moisture. Even in seemingly barren landscapes, tepary beans prove to be more nutritious than common beans, boasting higher levels of protein, calcium, iron, and potassium.

This quality, alongside its status as one of the most drought resistant crops globally, has led some researchers to label it as The Bean of the Future.

Living with a chronic illness can often feel analogous to navigating a desert. Essential resources for survival—such as energy, meaningful relationships, financial stability, and certainty about the future—can feel scarce. At times, it may seem like the only option is to cling to your dwindling hope, desperately striving to survive.

Like many, you might yearn for the days before your illness, wishing for the comfort of plentiful rain and the absence of life’s overwhelming challenges. You might hold on to the belief that happiness awaits you if you can return to work, resume your hobbies, or leave the house again.

But how long are you willing to defer your happiness, hoping for a cure that may never materialize? While you may eventually heal or find ways to manage your condition, it’s likely that your life will not revert to what it once was. In a society that often defines us by our actions, this can be daunting. However, it doesn’t have to be. You can learn to THRIVE with your chronic illness, just as you are today, regardless of how difficult, demanding, or overwhelming your health situation may be.

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As the mighty tepary bean thrives not by wishing for rain, but by deepening its roots, our journey through illness and adversity has revealed what is essential—not just for surviving, but for flourishing in any circumstance.

A “Heartsong in Action” birthed in the realization that true healing cannot be achieved in isolation, and that community, compassionate presence, and even creative expression from the heart are as necessary as medicine. This lived wisdom is not merely anecdotal—it's a thread running through every story at Emily’s Place The One, culminating in a call for research and advocacy so others need not fall through the same gaps unseen.

Our greatest discovery—evidenced in every phase from personal struggle to community-building and now to research—is that no one thrives alone. Healing, stability, and even happiness require both tangible support (a baseline of safety, shelter, resources) and a willingness to reach for one another, especially in life’s most barren seasons.

In learning this, we’ve uncovered not just a path for those in crisis, but a blueprint for any person or community facing uncertainty and change.

This is not just the story of a few. It’s a call to remake resilience—together—so that no one is cast aside, and so that, even amidst the driest seasons, we can all discover new roots and grow.