Gifts of the Earth
Learn:
Happy Earth Day all! With rain predicted for our (quite normal) Wisconsin spring, it’s a great reminder to take this Earth Week to focus on ALL of the ways the Earth provides for us.
First, the basics: land, water, air. The Earth is our HOME. We don’t have anywhere else to go and it has carried life for at least 3.5 billion years. We couldn’t survive without a combination of these three things in balance. The Earth provides that for us.
Second, the bonuses. Have windows in your home and enjoy the view outside? Love walks in the outdoors? Or time on the water? What about your garden? Or the food in your fridge? What about the birds we spy throughout the day? Or the buds we look forward to each year? We can thank the Earth for the multitude of gifts that we maybe don’t always attribute to her.
Lastly, the “negatives”. It’s easy to say “It’s a miserable day outside” when it’s cold, windy, and rainy. But when these are also viewed as gifts of the Earth, our perspective shifts. I love when things green up in the spring - rain is needed for this to happen. Another example: mosquitoes. Not my favorite animals on the planet. But when they are viewed as a vital food source for dragonflies, bats, many birds, and other animals, I know that mosquitoes are needed to keep life in balance. When we try to find the positives in these “negatives”, we realize that all things have their place and it’s not our human job to manipulate it just because we are uncomfortable.
Read:
If you follow me on social media, you’re going to see this book pop up twice today. I’ve created a series of “Earth Month Books” this year that highlights one of my favorite environmental books, and includes a “sparklet”: one quote from the book that really stood out to me. On Earth Day, I chose “Thank You, Earth” by April Pulley Sayre. This book has a special place in my heart this year as this weekend is a Celebration of Life for the author. April Pulley Sayre passed away last year - much too young - from breast cancer. She continues to be an inspiration to me as a writer with her lyrical, nature-focused picture books that also featured her stunning photography. I hope you’ll pick up a copy and enjoy the book reading done by her that is linked above.
Do:
Can you say “Thank You, Earth” in more ways? The Earth provides us with so many gifts, and we can look for ways to repay that forever debt. Start by noticing what is around you and what you can be thankful for. Then look for ways to care for the Earth more mindfully, and how you can use her resources more carefully.
“What can we really do?” asked one person.
“What about reciprocity?” I asked. At bottom, our ecological crisis boils down to one simple fact: humans are taking more than we’re giving back to the Earth. What if each of us started giving back as much as we take—in all our relationships, with the human and more-than-human worlds? Even a simple gesture like showing gratitude can make a difference. Everyone loves to be thanked!
- Priscilla Stuckey, PhD, This Lively Earth