Growing up as a young girl my parents always tried to instill in me the beauty of life. We were not a family that went on vacations to the theme parks, arts exhibits, or plays, but what we did do all involved something about nature. We would go camping, hiking, gardening, caving, and more. I know that when I was young I didn’t understand the morals I was being taught, but I do now.
I recently took a vacation to see my new nephew, and as I stood there holding this new life it occurred to me this is what I am trying to save, the existence of man and planet. At two days old this baby taught me a lesson that no matter how grim things look, hope is shining through. He has such a positive outlook on life. He knows no reason why everyday starts with a beautiful sunrise or that every night the stars shine. He only knows that he is part of something bigger and is happy to rise to the occasion. He knows that when he cries he will be fed, he knows that when he smiles he will be hugged. It suddenly occurred to me to promote green living as a new born baby.
Our Planet is our baby, yet we do not treat her in the manner she deserves. We don’t feed her when she is crying; we don’t hug her when she smiles. We neglect her. What if we treated the planet as a new born baby? What if we raised our planet? You would not let your child go hungry; you would not let your child become harmed. So why do we let our planet? Now I am not a green guru by far and don’t claim to be, I learn something new everyday that helps our planet. But I do know my impact on this beautiful planet we call Earth.
Earth is a beautiful planet. It sustains life, not because it was asked. The beauty of the planet is profound. It is profound on how so many different climates can work together as one, or how a rain drop can transform the very essence of a vegetable and a rock. How does one eco-system intertwine with another to become something bigger than themselves? What lessons can we learn from this?
I have lived in Florida for about 12 years now, and although the raw tropical beauty of Florida brings me a sense of peace going back home to IL gave me a sense of purpose. I stood there in the country of IL and closed my eyes. I took long deep breathes, I had smells reach my nose I had not smelled in years. The smell of dirt, the kind that is so dark in color it looks like coffee. The trees, the smell of the sap would rush my nasal cavity and make me smile from the sweet fragrance that followed. My eyes have always seen beauty, but going home was like seeing the Mona Lisa. You are overwhelmed by the beauty of it all; you stand for what seems like hours just admiring the scenery, and when you have to move on you are a little sadden by it.
A flock of turkeys graced me with their presence while I was home. There must have been 50 of them in the flock, after the wash of excitement washed over me I became a little sadden by the fact that one day my grandchildren will never see a turkey in the wild, or any other animal for that matter. I took a boat ride with my mother at her lake house, what a beautiful site. The leaves were starting to turn and the reflection in the water was magnificent. Her boat battery is charged with a solar panel in case anyone was wondering. We disturbed some wood duck who have taken refuge on my parent’s lake, they flew off but didn’t make a sound, I guess they knew they were safe there and were free to return anytime.
Although I am glad to be home with my family, I wish everyone could experience the raw beauty of the wilderness. I wish everyone would nurture nature and help it to grow, just like a newborn. I wish that anyone can realize that there is something bigger than themselves out there. I wish that my grandchildren will look back and see we were the society that gave them the beauty they cherish every day.
By Tiffany Bare
Co Owner of Karmafarm Online
