We are conscious people. Not uber, living off the grid and hunting our own meat kind of conscious, but . . . urban conscious?
Of course, not urban. Anymore at least.
When we made the move here, part of our goal was living a simple life. That didn’t mean ditching math for the kids, but was more about using less, making more (to share) and thinking about things before we did them.
Recycling, upcycling, composting, gardening, food harvesting and a bundle of more “seemingly earthy” things have always been a part of our life. Creating a sustainable micro farm is important, harvesting water and getting off the consumer train are priorities in our thinking.
So, when we think about the Earth every day, how should we take today to CELEBRATE it?
1. We are having locally caught, fresh BC salmon for dinner. This fish came from a few blocks away (the ocean!) and there was no human energy put into it growing into the magnificent filet it is today.
2. We will plant. We have new raspberry canes that need to stretch into the soil, blueberry bushes, a plum tree and a hazelnut that need to get into the ground. Today is a good day to do more to contribute to our food supply this summer/next year/the next decade.
3. We will harvest. We will have a a few dozen eggs to share around today, and we will. We will feed our neighbours.
4. We will talk. We have watched documentaries with the kids before to encourage discussions about our Earth, and tonight we will find another one that is appealing. We will wait to see what we are in the mood for, perhaps a little Blue Planet, or the Addicted to Plastic Documentary to remind the kids WHY we have a litter less lunch and re-usable water bottles, and a BIG basket for our grocery shopping.
5. We will applaud our efforts so far, and scheme up a few more ways we can contribute to our environment, instead of take from it. We have more gardens to plant, more rain harvesting to build, and more opportunities every day to give back to our community.
As humans, we have spent a long time taking/wanting/needing. Today, of all days, start thinking ahead. Plan how you can contribute. Find a way to give back, before we run out of the opportunity to do so.