My mistake was thinking I needed to give you more to be a good Mom. Recently your aunt asked me what my favorite toy was growing up. I gulped, I didn’t have one- it was the outdoors, sliding down a ravine of leaves with my Dad, skiing and camping. Today is October 12th, 2021 and I am still going to be giving you a lot, it’s going to look a little different – love, experiences, education and a healthy planet.

I will do my part to help ensure that there is an Earth left when we are done borrowing it.

While I will work my hardest to create any positive change I can, you must continue this quest. You cannot give up hope, and you must always remember that the beauty on this Earth is worth saving.

Right now you are only a little over 5 weeks old, but you have truly changed my whole world. Your Mom and I always say that we thought we loved before you were born, but now that you have come into the world and we met you, our ability to love just expanded exponentially.

I’ll be here to tell you all the ways I have fought for the health of our home, and fought to protect all of the wide, open spaces for you to run in. When you’re old enough, we can fight together.

My hope for you is that you can have equal experiences with nature that I was able to have with my dad.

I promise to wholeheartedly live my life with an awareness of my personal impact on our communities and our planet.

I hope that people are still enjoying the wonders that nature has to offer.

I don’t know your name
or even if you’re alive,
but I’m doing all I can
to make sure you survive.

I’m your great- great grandmother
who lived a century ago
in a world far different
from the one you must know.

I’m going to commit to raising you with your eyes open. Being aware as much as we can, how to better our environment together.