Thoughts on Earth Day

I am grateful. Grateful for the willows’ branches that gently sway in the wind. Grateful for the rain that breathes life into the soil. Grateful for the nematodes and peregrine falcons and hibiscus flowers and amethyst and right whales. Grateful for my intimate connection to each being on this planet.

I am grieving. Grieving for the bleached coral, the mountains that lost their majesty to dynamite, the ocean waters rendered dead by fertilizers. Grieving for the seal trapped in a fishing line. Grieving for the wolf shot from a helicopter. Grieving because of my intimate connection to each being on this planet.

I am hopeful. Hopeful that more and more people will become conscious of this deep connection. Hopeful that we will find a way to live on this planet sustainably and with respect for every centimeter of land, every molecule of water, every living being. Hopeful that we can heal the wounds within us that cause us to wound what surrounds us. Hopeful that we will realize and hold dear our intimate connection to each being on this planet.