April means Spring, and April 22nd means Earth Day! Now we’ve all heard about Earth Day, and we’ve all heard about how we’re supposed to lover the Earth. Whether you call Earth an “it” or “her”, most of us know we are supposed to take care of it/her. Some people go as far as calling Earth “Mother”… which got me thinking, let’s talk about mothers for a moment:

When you think of your mother (or any other positive parental figure in your life), is your first thought the to-do list of things your supposed to do for them? OR is your main thought the loving relationship? Is the relationship merely transactional or is it about something deeper, like mutual unconditional love? (I talk more about this in my February blog post here)

Right this moment, I’m sitting in my bedroom in the early morning and my windows are open. I’m experiencing the Earth’s love through:

• The oxygen I’m breathing that’s being made and cleaned by Earth’s plants

• The coolness of Earth’s light breeze

• The relaxing peace of Earth’s bird brothers and sisters singing their songs

• The beautiful colors and shapes of Earth’s Spring wildflowers

• The colors of Earth’s sky as the sun comes up

• The tastiness of Earth’s Spring growth (dandelion pancakes anyone?)

• The entertainment of a couple of Earth’s spunky squirrels

and the list can go on and on! Earth is loving me both through practical provision of my needs (air, water, warmth) AND through providing for my mind and heart (beauty, wonder and entertainment).

I feel so grateful for all of this, just like I’m grateful for how my parents loved and provided for me as a kid. This makes me want to continue my relationship with them… not because I have to, but because I want to! I’m inspired to do things for my mom that causes her to be grateful for me… and that cycle keeps going… and it’s awesome.

I wonder… how is the Earth loving YOU right now? Step outside, take a deep breathe and look… listen… feel. Then… I wonder… could you do something in return that would make Earth and all her plants and animals grateful for you?

A couple of quick ideas of how to do that:

• Plant native plants- these plants are supposed to grow here and provide food and shelter for all the wildlife brothers and sisters! April is Ohio Native Plant Month… check out the official website!

• Stop using pesticides- poisoning the ecosystem around your house hurts wildlife… and you and your kiddos! There’s a better way… check out this website for more.

• Go outside and enjoy what Earth is giving you right now! Do this with your kids! Instead of thinking about what work you need to do, just go enjoy a flower, listen to the birds, feel grass on your barefeet… you’ll feel better… and your brain and body will literally be healthier!

This is my absolute passion, so I’m happy to talk more about it with anyone and everyone! I’d be happy to talk more about this with you, just email me Jared@bfa.care or message me on instagram @jaredthenatureguy

As I finish up this blog, I’ll leave with a quote from the book, spoken by the author’s dad:

“A lot of the time you hear people say the best thing people can do for nature is to stay away from it and let it be. There are places where that’s absolutely true and our people respected that. But we were also given the responsibility to care for the land. What people forget is that that means participating- that the natural world relies on us to do good things. You don’t show your love and care by putting what you love behind a fence. You have to be involved. You have to contribute to the well-being of the world… the land gives us so many gifts… we are given the responsibility to make things beautiful and productive… it is our art and science.”

Happy Earth Day!