Photo by Jessica Walliser |
Today is Earth Day.
Around here it seems that everyday is Earth Day—as it should be everywhere in my book. I think most gardeners feel that way.
I know that every time I plunge my hands into the dirt, I feel a connection with Mother Earth. I don’t need a special day to tell me how much my life depends on her, how much my health is connected with hers or how much I love to be surrounded by all her intricacies.
Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s great that schools, community organizations and entire neighborhoods host special Earth Day activities.
I’ve spoken at many of these events over the years and I have seen the proverbial light bulbs igniting over all those heads. I just hope that when they go home and live their non-Earth Day lives, they think about what it really means to live life with some sort of reverence and appreciation for the natural world.
Sometimes there is sacrifice (what, no paper plates?) in showing someone, or some thing, that you care. Earth is no different.
In a way, we gardeners have it easy. We’re already responsible to and for Mother Earth. We already compost. We already nurture green things. We already know something about how she works.
So today, this Earth Day, tuck your face towards the dirt and say thanks in whatever way you see fit. Plant a tree if you want, pick litter off a streamside, dig out an invasive plant, or just work in your garden. Smell the sweetness of another day. This one just happens to have a special name.
