You dear, crazy planet–I love you…

Happy Earth Day everyone.   I really mean it.

Because deep beneath the designation of this holiday, the events, the greenwashing, and even the celebrations, is buried a very quiet, very sacred truth.  This truth not sexy, or shocking or hip,  but it’s ours.  It belongs to everyone of us.

The secret is that we all deserve to feel connected to this crazy living sphere that sustains us so well.  From it (and all the elements that govern it) we receive what we need to be alive.  And so do billions of other beings.  We’re all breathing together as we go round.  And it’s a pretty profound mind-blowing thing when you think about it.

Honestly you don’t have to do anything special to celebrate earth day.  There are so many points of access–take your dog or your kids or yourself to the park, and then take your shoes off.   Remember how good that feels?

Or maybe do something nice for someone or a fellow struggling being (pick up that earthworm from the sidewalk and return it to the dirt).  Little acts of kindness are contagious and the end result is a feeling of interconnectedness.

This past week was a rough one for our country.   One evening before bed,  my son expressed anxiety about random acts of violence.   I told him that we cannot predict who will be violent or when this violence will show up.  But we can be kind everyday.   We can be inclusive and reach out to someone we know who is lonely.   We can show love.

These simple actions over time can help someone feel less isolated and an increased sense of belonging.  And the simple truth is that we all belong to the earth, and it to us.  Not just some of us.  All of us.  Everyday.  All the time.  Not just today.