How can the month of April with its Earth Day focus recharge us and strengthen our resolve on behalf of the environment? My mind turns to Marian, a retired consultant with impressive credentials in psychology, business, and law. But what gives me hope is her life calling now: To support her five grandchildren in loving the natural world. Their parents all work. Without Marian, the children would not have an active relationship with the wild. It’s not enough to know the facts about climate change. To save the world, we have to love it. Marian and her grandchildren go to an island in the Metroparks where they know all the wildlife. Years ago, when her oldest grandchild was five, they happened upon a frog-mating orgy. Now sixteen, he wrote to her about the highlights of growing up with her. One after another, he recalled their forays to the island and the astonishing life force of the frogs. How is my life purpose (and yours) evolving to include the wild? As I write these words, Canada geese fly past my window, calling loudly to each other, to me: Look up! Lift your eyes beyond the page, beyond the screen. Delight in the beauty of this world. It’s right here, right now. If you care, if we care, we’ll do what needs to be done. For the frogs, the geese, for Marian, for the wild in all of us.
Photo by albertstraub 
