Mother Earth Needs Us and We Need Her

I grew up near a lake, a river, and the ocean in a small town in coastal Maine. I spent my summers on the lake watching sunsets and its play on myriad cloud formations. I marveled at the uniqueness of each sunset and was teased at times for it.  Each moment, however, was different and awe-inspiring in its beauty. I smelled flowers, observed wildlife, and swam with fish. I watched angelic snowflakes fall from the sky upon my face in the wintertime. I was blessed and deeply appreciative. 

I grew up with clean air and a fresh breeze off the Atlantic. I played in the frigid ocean and smelled the salty air. I heard stories of intoxicating air pollution in US cities and across the Earth. I was saddened. As any curious kid, I wondered why. 

Against the expansiveness of the ocean, there was the majesty of the mountains. I hiked growing up, enamored with the smell of the forest on trails and scaled small mountains. During a gap year, I hiked Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island in Hawaii, the Na Pali Coast on Kauai, and participated in several trips to high elevations of breathtaking landscapes while living in Argentina. 

Each experience connected me to the magic and grace of our natural environment and its precious ecosystems. It was also impossible to overlook the impact of humans upon Mother Earth. 

Driving across wide-open plains and farmland through the middle of the US last year, I marveled at the richness of geography in this country and also US enterprise on mammoth farms. Mother Earth has been generous with us. I remembered, however, the continual negative impact of farming practices on our precious topsoil. We have depleted our topsoil in the pursuit of profit and with negligence.  

Living in California the last five years, I looked out over the Pacific Ocean most days. You couldn't tell by looking at its beauty teeming with life that far beyond sight lived a patch of trash the size of Texas. You couldn't tell that ecosystems are depleting and that the natural patterns of wildlife are in danger to say nothing of temperature changes. 

Many efforts are under way to heal Mother Earth in homes, communities, and even across nations and more people are waking up and loving Her. And yet, even if in the eyes of some we have made progress, we are far, far behind and have so much to be and do for Her without delay. 

I briefly reflect upon these experiences because I feel every day that our precious Mother Earth needs us. She needs our positive, loving thoughts. She needs our daily care, protection, and action on her behalf. She needs us to truly see and appreciate her for what she gives us and respect what she could take away. She needs us to be aware that Her existence and ours are deeply intertwined. Without harmony and balance between us, we all lose. 

Far beyond our political debates about climate change, caring for Mother Earth reaches to the core of who we are and who we can be for Her right now if we choose differently. If we choose to cherish this great Earth that gives us daily life. With these words, I send Mother Earth gratitude, love, and appreciation and humbly ask you to do the same while finding ways to help.