Dear Future Child,

I love the blue sky, the dazzling contrast of deep blue against sparkling white snow. As a child I would stare up at the blue sky, gazing at the hazy edges with sadness. I remember the feeling of unease at the pit of my stomach as I noticed the dirty smudges of pollution creeping up the horizon – a reminder that our world is sick.

I want you to be able to look up at a dazzling blue sky and spin, carefree arms outstretched, ready to embrace the world. I want you to breathe deep healthy gulps of air and savor the sensation of living, as your chest rises and falls. I want you to feel the bliss and comfort of being part of a whole and beautiful world; to run barefoot through dewy grass; to pick strawberries that taste like sunshine; to chase fireflies at dusk and listen to coyotes. I want you to live in a world that is whole and healthy, to never worry if the air is safe to breathe, whether the water is safe to drink, or if there are chemicals on your food.

I want things to be simple for you. I don’t want you to feel anxiety over the future or despair at the overwhelming loss of beauty we are witnessing. I don’t want you to choose between participating freely in society and your values. I don’t want you to be plagued with constant guilt and despair that your actions never can align with your beliefs. You should never feel the deep sorrow that no matter how much you do it will never be enough.

I want the world to be better for you. I will fight for you. I will fight so that you have clean air to breathe and water to drink. I will fight to make our society one that you can be proud of. You deserve to live free of our collective and unfathomable burden. To be free of the fear, pain, and guilt of a sick world. You deserve a chance at life. I will fight for that.

Love,

A human trying her best

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More Messages to the Future

Dear Tomorrow,

I am so sorry we didn’t realize this predicament sooner.

Queridas crianças do mundo inteiro,

Pedimos que vocês procurem fazer como nós e continuem essa luta de colaborar com nosso planeta: evitando o consumo exagerado, usando a tecnologia para o bem, plantando árvores, economizando água e poluindo menos.

Dear Nafia,

I also hope that your previous prayers have been answered. The way you wanted to create green jobs for your fellow city dwellers have been fulfilled already.

People of tomorrow,

Your path will only be as clear tomorrow as we have made it for you today.

To my precious children,

As you’ve grown older, I’ve become increasingly aware that protecting you means more than ensuring your short-term safety. It also means ensuring that you’ll have a safe planet to live on.

Dear My Future Child,

I want to sculpt a world for you where you can play outside without gas masks, an ocean to swim in without toxins, and a thick lively forest for you to wander.

Dear Tomorrow,

I promise to purchase carbon offsets when we fly.

Dear Tomorrow,

I promise I will encourage everyone to adopt a plant-based diet. Good for our health, the animals and the planet.

Dear Beloved Children,

As time progresses, there is hope that value will be placed on all living organisms, including humans, plants, and animals. Life will move at a slower pace, and being on your own time and moving at your individual pace will be the typical way of life. I consider this way of life good living, and I hope that future generations will live on this earth as it was once intended to live in peace and harmony.

Dear Generations to Be,

If we could all slow down, look around and connect: with each other, the Earth, the sky, the plants and rocks and animals, then maybe we can all remember to treat everyone and everything with respect and live in love.

Dear Daughter,

Tonight at bedtime, you asked, seemingly out of nowhere, “why are the glaciers disappearing?”

A love letter to my son

I hope this year is a real turning point and by the time you’re a teenager, your life is powered almost entirely by clean energy like solar and wind.

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