Dear Anna and Miguel,
As you have grown up and begun to learn more
about the world, the environment and our relationship to them, you
have shown me time and again, that we have a responsibility to protect
what God has given us. You both have done projects
searching for solution to current environmental issues. When the BP oil spill
occurred, you ran around the house stuffing dog and human hair into a bag to
take to school. You both were members of the oceanographers club raising money
to help protect endangered sea creatures. You have loved your studies about the
rain forest, and learning about the animals whose homes are being wiped out
through deforestation. Miguel, I remember how upset you were when you heard
about the damage that was being done by the Hershey Company, and to this day,
you still won’t let me buy products from Mars or Hershey. I remember you
telling me even then, how hard the people worked in South American countries,
but didn’t have the same living conditions we did, and how much you wanted to
help. Your love and consideration of the world around us and the people from
all over is truly an inspiration.
As I consider the activities that we have
done together, from camping on the Meramec River, bike riding along the Katy
Trail, summer vacations on Lake Michigan and strolling the beaches of Maine, I
want to know that all of these places will still be around, and just as
beautiful for you to share with your children and your grandchildren. I want to
know that when I tell you about the reefs and sea life in the Bahamas, that you
will be able to witness that same beauty one day. That the tide pools scattered
over the rocky shore beneath the Marshall Point Lighthouse will once again hold
the variety of animal life that it once did when I was your age.
Now it is my turn to step up and continue that
love, that knowledge and that awareness you have shared with me, by instilling
in our family new habits that can make a difference for the world. Because,
when I think of children like you living in India, China, or any other
developing nation, I know they deserve a better world and one where they won’t
have to work for 12 hours a day and only earn $36.00. Did you know, the Lakota
Sioux have a proverb that says, “We do not inherit this land from our
ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” That is how I will base my actions.
So, here is my promise to you,
my commitment to do my best to set an example for you both in protecting and
preserving the environment, and our world, for children of the future. I
promise to make sure that we are living as sustainably as possible within our
own home; to recognize when a change to a more sustainable option can be made
and make it; to grow as much from our own garden as possible, finding ways to
buy locally whatever we can’t grow ourselves and only support foods that are in
season; to trade in our Suzi for a hybrid as soon as I graduate; to teach you
exactly what we can and cannot recycle, how long showers should be, and how to
conserve products to minimalize our consumption; to reinforce the joys of bike
riding, so you aren’t afraid of setting out on long trips on a bike instead of
a car; to raise you to always look at those around you as equals regardless of
race, color, beliefs, or gender; to make sure you know how to continue the
progress we start by supporting your learning and helping you take it even
further by setting the example for others; and most importantly to truly
embrace the world and our environment as God’s gift to us.
Mrs. Eddy tells us in Science and Health,
"Man is the expression of Soul. The Indians caught some glimpses of the
underlying reality, when they called a certain beautiful lake “the smile of the
Great Spirit” '(Science and Health, 477:26). Every
time we see a rainbow, or watch the flowers bloom in spring, or look out at the
ocean, we should remember it’s a gift from God and if we are guided by love we
will always make the right choices.
Love you always,
Mom
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