Everything is connected. Whether by action or inaction, we are in constant relationship with everyone and everything.
This truth permeates our relationship with this living planet we are incredibly privileged to call home. Acknowledging this invites both great empowerment and responsibility.
At times, we may extend our awareness of connection with nature only to the level of the life cycle of water, or how trees compost on the ground at their feet, re-entering their roots as nourishment. The deeper reality is that humanity’s wellness is inextricably linked to that of Earth’s.
Whatever we do to her, be it reducing her capacity to breathe – ocean plastic accumulation and deforestation are both accomplishing this – or stripping her land of fertile soils – desertification and industrial agriculture play a role here – we affect every organism in the planetary system, including ourselves.
The weight of this can overwhelm us into apathy but never inaction as we are always having an impact on some level. Rather than succumbing to the overwhelm of our global environmental crisis, what is one step, however small, we might take in this moment to close the wound?
Repairing our relationship to the earth is a lot like mending a broken friendship. Spending quality time in nature organically infuses our being with a deeper appreciation for her.
We witness her beauty, resilience and intricacies close up and learn from her living metaphors. We can’t help but become more radiant by basking in her aliveness.
What if we celebrated Earth Month (April) by spending time deepening our relationship to the planet that supports our very existence?
Let’s find ways to feed the circular loop of life, however we can, whether that be a morning walk in the woods, getting our hands in a garden, painting a scenic landscape, adopting a more minimal lifestyle, hopping on our bike instead of in our car, or having a picnic on a mountain top.
We feel the urge to protect those we know – those we have a relationship with and also those who we see as somehow having a vulnerable moment.
Although incredibly powerful and resilient, the earth is experiencing a death by a thousand cuts. Seemingly innocent and largely welcomed, innovations such as plastic, access to fossil fuels and the ensuing industrial and technological advancements have had their shadow side.
Much like how overindulgence can leave our physical bodies susceptible to disease, overconsumption of the earth’s resources is affecting its wellness. Though generously able to self heal, we need to assist in providing the right conditions for this inherent ability to activate. Continuing to add stress to a challenged system means toxins accumulate faster than can be released.
This is a time of year we are invited to consider the earth and our interdependence with her. While some call this Earth Month, we know that every day is, in fact, an opportunity to celebrate and care for the planet.
May this spring seed in us all the truth that everything is “kin-nected.” Let’s plant what we want to grow.
Let’s Talk Trash is contracted by qathet Regional District to deliver its waste reduction education program. For more information, email [email protected] or go to LetsTalkTrash.ca.
