No words can express how blessed I am to have grown up surrounded by a vast ocean, fresh air, warm sun, and beautiful flame trees.
Mother Nature. Mother Gaia. Mother Earth.
She has provided humans the gift to exist in a world that heals and grows naturally, and she deserves all the love and care in the world.
Mother Earth has given us more than what we could ever ask for on a daily basis. She shows a world full of spectacular landscapes, exotic animals, and robust minerals. And just like millions of mothers, her love for her children is as sincere and as powerful as any other force imaginable.
And just like millions of children, our instinct is to cherish and protect those who have shown us love and care like no other in this world. I believe it is also within us as kids to treat Mother Nature with the same care and respect as we would our own mothers, fathers, siblings, and friends.
I really hate to point out the elephant in the room, but it is incredibly heartbreaking seeing how much we’ve failed Mother Gaia within the last few decades.
Who do we think we are entering her home, only to leave it in a constant state of recklessness, garbage, and abandonment.
“The world is an ugly place” – no. Those who inhabit the world, yet not preserve it, make it an ugly place.
Every moment I surround myself with Mother Nature, I wonder why any living being would ever treat her any less than respect and love.
Why did we come to this?
One person cannot do thousands of tasks on their own to heal the planet, but if thousands of people conquer at least one task every day, we will see, hear, and feel nature singing with gratitude and happiness.
As one person, I pledge to do my part in loving and taking care of her the very best I can by:
Following the three R’s – Reduce, reuse, recycle.
Throwing my trash in appropriate trash bins, especially out in public.
Planting flowers and trees, or even a garden.
Volunteering for / initiating cleanups.
Attending environmental seminars or workshops to expand my knowledge and awareness about current environmental issues (or important facts and tips for helping the environment), and spread this awareness to everyone.
Switching from using paper cups, plates, utensils, towels, and straws to cloth, glass, and metal materials (i.e. reusable shopping bags and water bottles).
Conserving electricity and water by turning unused items off, and not letting the water run while brushing my teeth, doing the dishes, or taking long showers/baths.
Reading and understanding the land I live in.
Avoiding items with chemicals that are hazardous to the environment.
Supporting local markets and vendors is a way to reduce transportation, processing, and packaging. Plus, this helps support the community, and the ingredients are fresher.
Cooking at home to reduce the use of single-use items from restaurants.
Walking, riding a bike, or taking public transportation to reduce the spread of CO2 emissions from diesel and petrol gas cars.
Switching to email receipts and opt-out of receiving junk mail to reduce the use of paper.
Going out in nature. As a human being, it’s nice having that comfort from a parent, child, friend, and sibling. This is pretty similar to visiting a park, beach, or forest every now and then. Plus, we get to escape the hectic life in the city and enjoy moments to ourselves or with our loved ones.
This is a gentle reminder that we are the guests on this lovely planet.
Let’s treat her with love, respect, care, and gentleness.
And let us be eternally grateful for experiencing the wonders that come from her.
