Every year on Earth Day, I share this letter that I wrote to our “home”. And this year, I decided to turn it into a video. My hope? That each of us recommit to being better stewards of our ONE precious planet. Our home. Not just on April 22nd. But every day.

Dear Earth, I know, we humans haven’t always treated you with kindness and respect. We have ravaged your forests, contaminated your water, polluted your air and taken way more than we need. We have drilled deep into your core and caused massive destruction to life nearby and far away.

We have created and dumped toxins and waste into your waterways and soil. We have overdeveloped your land, destroying your natural sanctuary and turning many areas into unnatural concrete jungles.

We have forgotten that you along with the sun, provide us with everything we need to exist here on your planet. We have become wasteful and greedy. We don’t think about you, and the harm that we cause when we fill up our gas tanks, or we buy apples in February, in the Northern Hemisphere. We have been neglectful and complicit as everything is taken care of for us.

We have believed that we could do whatever we want, whenever we want. We buy things just because we can. Our mantra has been buy new, buy bigger. Bright shiny objects feed our egos.

We throw things away and don’t think about where it goes or how it harms you. We dump chemicals down our drains and into our gardens, but we don’t think about how that affects your water, and your soil — the water that we drink, and the food grown from your soil that we eat. We don’t think about the impact of driving vehicles and the destruction it’s causing to your air. The air that we breathe.

The destruction we have caused will take decades, and possibly lifetimes, to repair and some things we cannot repair. Precious animals and plants have been taken away from us because of how we have treated you and other living beings on this planet. We have forgotten that animals and plants are living beings. We have forgotten that all living beings have a right to be here and to live freely. We have forgotten how to live WITH the earth, WITH you and all of its beautiful residents, rather than on the earth.

We thought we could control you and do whatever we wanted, but you have shown us that we were wrong.

We have forgotten that you are our precious planet. You are our life source.

We have disrespected you and we are sorry. We sometimes get so wrapped up in our own lives that we forget that every thought, word and action we take has a direct or indirect effect on everyone and everything else, and on you. We have been thoughtless, and ego driven.

You have provided us with a place to live and create relationships, a place to love and be loved, to nurture and be nurtured. But we have forgotten that we also have a relationship with YOU, that without you and all you provide, we would not exist.

This Earth Day and every day, we recommit ourselves to living a healthy, happy and harmonious life with you.

Just as you take care of us providing us with all that we need. We will take care of you. So future generations may experience the beauty and wonder and awe, that you have created and given to us.

We acknowledge this world we live on is a gift to be cherished and through our positive mindful choices, we will honor and respect to you, and all of your inhabitants, every day. We are sorry, and we will do better.

❤️
Chrissy