Footsteps fertilize a field.

a father 

When a young peer at workplace was stuck at work and depressed, he told  his father his worry in spite of himself. His father responded like this. He started tending a field after retirement. It was unfamiliar work but he continued working hard. Then he was praised by senior people who had already started working in the fields like this. If you are considerate toward the field and frequently drop by to check on it, you understand what the crop wants and find yourself taking care of it, which will lead to a good harvest.

May 26,  2017

from “Oriori no Kotoba” by Kiyokazu Washida, The Asahi Shimbun