Earth Life
It’s the day after Earth Day. Many people have already moved on and settled back into their daily lives. I guess I have too. But for me, Earth Day isn’t a day. It’s a way of being in the world. A mindset of gratitude for all the beauty and warmth and abundance we receive as citizens of the most amazing planet in the universe. It’s an attitude of respect and care-taking instead of exploitation, greed, competition, and fear.
Earth Day was founded in 1970, inspired by Rachel Carson’s groundbreaking book “Silent Spring”. We’ve come a long way since then. We banned DDT, the Bald Eagles are making a comeback, we took lead out of our fuel, and more. We still have a long way to go, and it often feels like one step forward, two steps back. But the progress we have made shows us that more is possible.
What a gift it is to live on this wondrous, diverse, fertile, creative, beautiful planet. Every time you see a bird, do you not have to steady yourself to avoid swooning in absolute awe of these singing, flying, feathered beings? Doesn’t the sight of them inspire you to run right out and clean up some trash and reduce your plastic consumption so that more of them can live? And if you’ve ever listened to the tree frog chorus on a warm spring night, did it not fill you so full of love and wonder that you vowed never to dispense poisons again? After all, a single application of Roundup can kill up to 100% of developing tadpoles within three weeks1. The weeds aren’t really that bad, when you think about it. What about the rich juicy flavor of the first ripe tomato of summer. Doesn’t it send you running to tend your compost pile with renewed enthusiasm, eager to bolster the rich brown topsoil that gifted you that indescribable experience?
Isn’t it a privilege as much as a responsibility, that we have the ability to wield our marvelous human bodies in ways that benefit all that surrounds us? What joy, when each of us stewards our little pieces of Earth into ever-growing abundance, linking one to another in glorious formation of wildlife corridors, pollinator havens, and food forests. How inspiring that we have this capacity within us, and that engaging in these beneficial activities rewards us in mutual reciprocity with greater health, well-being, and peace. That’s not an accident. This is what it means to be a human being. It’s our role in the world. It’s our purpose.
I’ve read a great number of books and articles by authors who believe that humans are a blight on this planet. We are not. Our culture has taken a few wrong turns, but we have more power over the culture than it has power over us. Some of the systems, technologies, and ideologies that have taken root are inherently harmful. We need to fix that. But humans, our bodies, our souls, our beings… we are not separate from nature. We are nature. We are inextricably linked to every other living being on this planet. We are made of the soil and the water and the air. When we clean and improve and energize the body of the Earth, we increase our own health and wholeness. The path forward is not for humans to get off this planet and leave it alone. We have indeed made some big messes, but now we must stay, become fully present, and use our power to work together towards healing. We are the caretakers here, and we are so desperately needed. We have been the problem, but we have the power to become the solution. And there is so much here worth saving. As for me, I can’t imagine a better way to spend a lifetime than in service to this beautiful planet and all the manifestations of love and life that inhabit it. Happy Earth Day, every day, with love to all my fellow Earthlings. 🌎💚🌏💚🌍