Nature is calling...

For a while now, I’ve feel this pull toward connection. And when I think about connection, I usually think in terms of people.

But I’ve been reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

And the subtitle, Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants, describes the contents of the book, as she weaves together the belief that plants are our teachers and her training as a botanist to help us consider our relationship with Mother Nature.

It’s beautifully written - both in language and in message - and it’s been a delight both to read on summer days in my hammock and to listen to on audiobook when I’m alone in the car.

And throughout the book, she explores the idea of reciprocity and how we and the Earth are interconnected. That as we depend on the natural resources to meet our needs and bring us joy, we have a responsibility in return: to receive with gratitude, to take only what we need, to care for our world and all living things on it.

This idea of reciprocity has been dancing in my head.

How can I walk a little more softly upon the land?

I live in the suburbs. In a world of consumerism and instant gratification. Sure, I grow a garden, and I have a compost bin and a rain barrel. But there’s so much more I can do.

I can welcome animals to my yard when they come to eat the clover. (It’s so much easier to welcome the bunnies than the groundhogs…)

I can be more mindful of my gardening practices - adopting permaculture and no-till methods, companion planting, and reaching for native and heirloom species.

I can remember that everything I have came from the Earth - if I trace back the timeline of each item I own, I can get to their core as natural resources:

My favorite sheets came from cotton plants, with white fluffy blossoms that made the fields look like snow. My journal was originally a tree, standing strong and tall in the forest. My favorite vase holding blooms from my garden, made of clay that came straight from the ground.

I can take only as much as I can use and use what I take. When I grocery shop, I can buy only what my family will actually eat, and I can make sure that I use all of those groceries instead of letting bags of lettuce and leftovers spoil in the fridge.

And I can be mindful to not just take, but also give. To develop rituals of gratitude, celebration, and reciprocity, to live more intentionally.

I’m at the early stages, still, of thinking through this, and am so excited to consider how these actions can foster my connection with the Earth and everyone on it.

It’s time to get on it, because Nature is calling.

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Use these prompts as written or as inspiration to uncover what you need in your life this week. And know that I’m always here to support you and answer questions you have along the way!

• How connected do you feel to the Earth?

• Consider your heritage. What cultural lessons or traditions support your relationship to Mother Nature?

• What experiences have shaped your relationship to the land?

• What does reciprocity mean to you? How can you reciprocate for all you’ve been given?

• What is one thing you can do to be a more active participant in caring for the Earth?

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One Journaling Idea I Love:

Let Me Give You Some Advice

Create a collection of advice you’ve been given throughout your life. What was the advice? Who gave it to you? Was it solicited or unsolicited? Did you take it? What was the outcome? Did you pass this advice on to someone else? What can you learn from seeing these pieces of advice together? Are there any patterns you can identify? What bits are still applicable to your life today?

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More Good Stuff

• This month’s Journaling Mini-Retreat will be on Wednesday, July 19 at 7:30 pm Eastern. Click HERE to register.

• I’m working on a big revamp of BOTH my Tuesday evening livestream AND my group program. Stay tuned for big announcements!

Happy Journaling!