Earth Day Musings

Excerpt from this morning's journaling:

"I may be held by Mother Earth when I choose to behold her bittersweet beauty. I honor her elements, cycles, and rhythms. Embrace! She loves me unconditionally and holds mirrors everywhere so I can see she is within me." I meditate on "So hum: I am that" and bring extra special awareness to my sensory experience today.

Becoming a mother has deepened my connection to Mother Earth in ways I never imagined. Beyond connecting to the elements as building blocks, the wisdom of nature's cycles, and equilibrium as an eternal dance rather than a stagnant "state" to achieve, I have surrendered to unpredictability, let go of expectations, and let go of any illusory grasping for control.

Children bring some turbulent weather, and I can choose to complain about the rain, wind, and mounds of snow, or surrender to what is. Feeling and allowing it to pass through. Looking inward for the deeper wisdom that I meant to learn so that I can root down and rise stronger during from each ebb, flowing. Full-bodied resilience. Ready for anything.

There is nothing more terrifying to a patriarchal society than a woman in her own power. Actually, there is something more terrifying: a woman embodying her power and modeling it to her children so that they can connect to their own inner resources. A new generation of humans that embody freedom, cyclical living, worthiness and love that flows unconditionally from within. Systems that are built on profiting from our insecurities can't be sustained when we look them in the face and say "I am enough as I am." The rape of Mother Earth's resources for material success mirrors the exploitation of women to mother future generations that perpetuate patriarchal structures.

Mothers control roughly 85% of household purchases. As we continue to raise awareness about conscious consumerism and ecofeminism, I have hope that we can come together and be the change. I do not mean for this to feel like another to-do list item or burden to be carried alone by mothers. We are in this together. Simple, slow shifts over time can ripple out to massive impact.

What is the first step? Love yourself. Embrace who you are. This is the greatest revolution. When we root into self-compassion and view media through the lens of "how are you trying to profit from my insecurity?" we can slice through ignorance. We slice through the illusion that we will be happy if/when ___________ or that we need approval/validation from others.

Capitalistic consumerism has wired our brains with the belief of Have-Do-Be. For example, "When I have more money, I'll buy a fancy house/car, and I will be happy;" "When my kids are older, I will have more time to take care of myself, and I will feel vibrant." I am sure you can come up with some examples of thoughts/beliefs that have followed the have-do-be order.

What if we shift our mindset to Be-Do-Have? Can we pinpoint how we actually want to feel (ie. "be")? "Happy" most likely isn't really it. When we go a little deeper, we realize that we may actually be yearning to feel loved, peaceful, joyful, grateful, awe-some. What if we realize that these feelings are already accessible to us from within? They are unconditional. The question may become "What is blocking me from feeling ______?" And if we try on Be-Do-Have with the idea that we can access the feeling here, now, then we can start to explore what that leads us to do and have. "When I can be at peace here and now, I will spend less time/energy/money trying to "fix" people/situations, and I will have freedom to be present here now and/or headspace for creativity/advocacy/etc."

Rather than feeling the weight of having to save Mother Earth, what if we play around with the Be-Do-Have mindset? My guess is that a lot of the feelings and ways you want to "be" are resourced by her elements within you and can be witnessed in her beauty around you. When we spend more focus on Being and less on Doing, we automatically will harmonize with her and less with consumerism.

You may eventually feel called to "do" and take action, and I still invite you to do so in a slow, sustainable way for you and your family. Reusable containers/snack bags might be a simple start. Reusable menstrual pads can be a double whammy of reclaiming your Feminine power and connecting to your cycle while producing less waste. There is no rush, Mama. See what step you feel called to take first, and take it. Stay open and receptive to see what you feel called to after that. When we realize there is no end goal or destination, we can choose to take the scenic route and enjoy the ride. This is a way of honoring Mother Earth: listen to her, listen to your body, and realize they are one.

While expressive arts is important to my well-being, and I benefit from practicing in solitude, I have been inviting Mackenna to play more lately. I used to get upset when she woke up early and interrupted me (it's still not always exactly what I want/need in the moment), and I would give her her tablet to extend my alone time a bit longer. Lately, we have been using Lila's naps and/or the morning before she wakes to pull a card from this Children's Spirit Animals Deck to read the animal's message, act it out in our bodies, and draw/write something on paper. It is truly magical to see her and allow her to see me in my element. I am loving the dance of self-exploration and re-integration with family so that we can continue to grow together and I can model authentic self-expression with them.