Happy Earth Day

I grew up working the land for all the food I ate. I was taught that I had to feed the land so that it would be able to feed me too. I remember early on people would build ridges along the edges of their fields and as a child I could never understand why. Later I learned that they did it so that all the top rich soil would not be washed always by the rains. It was hard work as people used their bare hands and there were not tractors then. I used to think if we had to work had to conserve the soil I would have preferred not eating at all. To me that appeared to be one of the most stupid things that adults did, because I did not know better. Now that I am grown up and I know the importance of prevention of soil erosion I appreciate those early childhood lessons and the added physical labor that my ancestors engaged in to conserve the soil. 

We would also cut grass to thatch our homes, and my grandmother would always remind us not to cut all the grass so that it would cover the soil. Those were important lessons in conservation that I did not need any lessons from school. She told us not to start wildfires as they would destroy the habitat of many insects and animals. There was no real understanding of the ecosystem but those were my first lessons in the need to preserve and conserve our natural resources. Firewood was one of those issues we were always so short of. As a result many trees were cut down and there were no replacements. But as we grew up we were taught to plant a tree a year to replace the ones we had lost. I remember one year we planted gum trees behind my mother's home. Those gum trees are now saving as a windbreak for our homestead and now giving us the necessary firewood for cooking.

Now more than fifty years from my childhood, I am living in the USA. Today happens to be Earth Day and I decided to make sure I took care of the outside of my duplex where I live. Guess what I needed, GLOVES, so that I would not make my hands dirty and mess up my manicure. I miss the feel of the soil and the sand as trickles down between my fingers. I miss the smell of the earth especially after it has rained. I wished I could just take the soil and eat it that was how good the smell was to me. Sometimes of course we did. We looked for the soft sand and just munched on it. It tasted as earthy as you could expect it to be.

Working in my little garden, raking away some leaves from last fall, planting flowers, pruning some of the bushes, in my glove covered hands, connected my soul to mother earth again. That hour I spent outside took my mind back to my child hood when I was taught to care for the earth so that it would take care of me. I hope each one of you in your little corners of the world today you did a little good to Mother Earth as one good turn deserves another.