Let us love the Earth today.

Time with Mother Earth always leaves me feeling amazed and deeply grateful. Her sweet songs and scenes remind me of all I am a part of. I’ve confided in her many wandering paths and found my truest self hidden in acorns and sunsets.

But it breaks my heart a little, too. I see the trash on the side of the road, the black exhaust wafting into the atmosphere, and the cleared lots where trees used to be, and I think about the map I saw of the shrinking rain forests and ice caps. I want to shout sometimes, hoping the wind will carry my voice to anyone who will listen: “Stop it. Just stop it! We need those trees. And those birds. And the leaves, and bees, and ice caps, and forests, and butterflies, and tigers, and turtles.”

I can almost see the negativity radiating off me in those moments, rising up and mingling with the rain clouds. It doesn’t feel right, not that all of this isn’t worth getting angry about but because adding more anger to the planet isn’t what I want.

What I want is healing.

So, on this Earth Day and every day, I’m changing what I’m putting out there, from my carbon footprint to my karmic footprint. Anger’s never been my strength anyway. Love has.

Today, I intend to pay back the planet for her love with mine. I have to believe that our beautiful hearts can make things better. That the Earth can feel our love wrap around her.

I send the Earth my love today. I send it to the tigers. To the ants and grass and mountains. I send my love to the pebbles and people. To the turtles and roses. To the air. And the elephants. Oh, the elephants.

I send my love to the acorns and sand and oceans. To the cactus. I send it to the lions and gazelles. To the wide open plains. I send my love to the beaches. To the hummingbirds and the wind. I send my love to the rivers and raindrops. And all the little seeds.

I may not have much more to offer than my love, but my love I offer freely.