I love this -- I need your hopefulness. Even as I read how we need to help our children love the earth and care about climate change without just giving them pure anxiety -- I'm thinking about how many kids today are so unexposed to the natural world and they sit inside all day mostly on technology...and it breaks my heart. So I loved your later lines about the legacy you want your grandchildren and great-grandchildren to have - so good. I wonder what will have to happen to our world/society to take us to such a place...
Your writing today really reminds me of Meg Conley's -- do you read her newsletter? I feel like you would enjoy it!
Thank you so much, Christine. I understand exactly what you mean. I also realize that even though my kids live in the city we are so fortunate to have a metroparks system with acres and acres of wild space within miles of our house. My hope would be that people start where they are - get a book at the library and learn about their local plants and animals, visit a local nature area or river or mountain. We all have them but we have to visit them, to make their acquaintance and feel that connection. 💔 I haven’t heard of her, but I will look her up immediately! Thank you
Love those ideas - we try and get out regularly walking or riding bikes, but I'd like to incorporate a little more knowledge and mindfulness about our fellow critters and plants!
You're in .... Toledo, is that right?? Some day we'll have to find a reason to meet up since that's only a couple hours away from me!
Beautiful, life-giving reflection, Lindsey. Your memories of sparkling nature moments in childhood took me instantly back to similar experiences in mine! You are so right that such connections with earth and nature will ultimately move us to heal our planet much more than anxiety-producing and shaming lectures. Also appreciate your reframing of dominion and destruction into stewardship, an ethic of caring for ourselves and the world because we are not really separate from the world and its well-being is also ours (tikkun atzmi and tikkun olam in Jewish Kabbala, as a wise and dear friend once shared with me). And lastly, I loved this wisdom quote by O'Donahue: "When we approach things with reverence, great things decide to approach us.” There is a spiritual magnetism in love and reverence that draws like to like; you capture that feeling so well, that you draw us into your writing. Lost Words sounds like a lovely book, worthy of our careful attention. Thank you for all these wonderful renewing and revitalizing musings about spring and growth. :^)
I love tikun olam! Mending the world 💜 thank you for reminding me. And yes, the book is a treasure. I’ve often dreamed of writing/editing something similar for plants and animals of my region.
Oh my gosh, Lindsey! Do it! Clearly you have a passion for that writing! (Don’t let a little thing like time and kids get in the way—LOL.) Truly, I hope someday you will be able write it!
I love this -- I need your hopefulness. Even as I read how we need to help our children love the earth and care about climate change without just giving them pure anxiety -- I'm thinking about how many kids today are so unexposed to the natural world and they sit inside all day mostly on technology...and it breaks my heart. So I loved your later lines about the legacy you want your grandchildren and great-grandchildren to have - so good. I wonder what will have to happen to our world/society to take us to such a place...
Your writing today really reminds me of Meg Conley's -- do you read her newsletter? I feel like you would enjoy it!
Thank you so much, Christine. I understand exactly what you mean. I also realize that even though my kids live in the city we are so fortunate to have a metroparks system with acres and acres of wild space within miles of our house. My hope would be that people start where they are - get a book at the library and learn about their local plants and animals, visit a local nature area or river or mountain. We all have them but we have to visit them, to make their acquaintance and feel that connection. 💔 I haven’t heard of her, but I will look her up immediately! Thank you
Love those ideas - we try and get out regularly walking or riding bikes, but I'd like to incorporate a little more knowledge and mindfulness about our fellow critters and plants!
You're in .... Toledo, is that right?? Some day we'll have to find a reason to meet up since that's only a couple hours away from me!
That would be fun! Maybe a nature spot somewhere between us ☺️
I share your hopes for the future, and I’m loving your newsletter.
Thank you ✨✨✨
Lovely meditation on spring and how it connects to the legacy we leave as a part of earth's community!
Thank you ❤️
Beautiful, life-giving reflection, Lindsey. Your memories of sparkling nature moments in childhood took me instantly back to similar experiences in mine! You are so right that such connections with earth and nature will ultimately move us to heal our planet much more than anxiety-producing and shaming lectures. Also appreciate your reframing of dominion and destruction into stewardship, an ethic of caring for ourselves and the world because we are not really separate from the world and its well-being is also ours (tikkun atzmi and tikkun olam in Jewish Kabbala, as a wise and dear friend once shared with me). And lastly, I loved this wisdom quote by O'Donahue: "When we approach things with reverence, great things decide to approach us.” There is a spiritual magnetism in love and reverence that draws like to like; you capture that feeling so well, that you draw us into your writing. Lost Words sounds like a lovely book, worthy of our careful attention. Thank you for all these wonderful renewing and revitalizing musings about spring and growth. :^)
I love tikun olam! Mending the world 💜 thank you for reminding me. And yes, the book is a treasure. I’ve often dreamed of writing/editing something similar for plants and animals of my region.
Oh my gosh, Lindsey! Do it! Clearly you have a passion for that writing! (Don’t let a little thing like time and kids get in the way—LOL.) Truly, I hope someday you will be able write it!
Also, for those if us who don’t have small kiddos but want to taste this beautiful book, here’s a lovely reading of 4 entries.
The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane - YouTube https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iRsYApE0qCg
Thank you!!!