Love the Earth

This evening I let my mom's dog outside like I normally do, but instead of just holding the front door open, I decided to take him out back and sit on the picnic table. In the minute that I was outside, the fresh sweet-smelling air invigorated me and brought up an intense desire to connect with the Earth. I couldn't explain it, I just wanted more than anything to be in the woods away from the city lights. So without much thought, I put my shoes on, grabbed my car keys and drove to Retzer Nature Center.

I threw on a hat and gloves and rolled the windows down so I could really breathe in the air. When I got to Retzer, I put my iPod in my back pocket, pulled my emergency flashlight out of the glove box and ventured out into the night. I stepped onto the path and immediately felt my heart expand - it was like I could feel the spirits of the trees with me and they were just as excited as I was to be alive in that moment. I got to the top of the open hill, found a comfortable piece of ground and sprawled out on my back. It's nearly a new moon so the dark orange globe was fully visible with a small sliver of white cupping the bottom. The stars seemed somehow muted, yet closer. I took a deep breath, put in my ear buds and proceeded to play my favorite symphony.

During that 13 minutes of aural bliss I felt a number of things. Tears of joy ran down my cheeks over the sheer beauty of my surroundings and the appreciation for this planet and the miracle of life. I felt myself melt into the ground and become one with the grass and soil. I felt the pulse of the heart of the Earth as if it were my own. I felt calm and peaceful, and above all I felt loved. For every ounce of love that I was pouring into the Earth, she was pouring that much (and more!) right back into me.

The symphony finished and I shut off my iPod. I let the buzzing of the energy flow between my hands and the ground and silently thanked the Earth for sharing with me. I sat up and said a little prayer. As I walked back through the woods to my car, I felt compelled to touch each tree I passed and let it know that I loved it. I slowly made my way back without the light and took the time to appreciate the trees around me. I even stopped to hug one (I know that totally opens me up to jokes but I don't care).

As I got back in my car to drive home I felt completely at peace. I wanted to share this feeling of love and joy with everyone. Then I realized that all of my favorite things that bring me this sense of peace and joy are completely free and come from nature herself: the stunning sights, entrancing sounds and luscious smells. So often I neglect the things I truly love for something I think is more important or pressing. But really, nothing I do in this world can have much of a positive impact on others unless I am filled with love and appreciation, and for me the fastest way to replenish that emotion is to connect with Gaia.

The other thing I was thinking about on my ride home was how amazing it would be if everyone took time out to put a little love back into the planet. Feeling this connected and rejuvenated inspires me to be kinder and more loving to those around me. Imagine if every person that read this took the time out to appreciate and love the planet for just a few minutes (in whatever way felt right to them) and then passed on the message to someone else - there would be far fewer sour moods and a whole lot more smiles.

If you feel silly hugging a tree or talking to the stars, start somewhere else like noticing the new grass pushing up out of the ground or the buds that will be popping out on the trees any day now. Don't even tell anyone what you're doing if you feel embarrassed or ashamed. We are all alive in this moment solely because this beautiful planet sustains and nourishes us. There's no shame in loving it back.