“Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of joy and wonder. I choose joy over despair, not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift,” Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass. I, too, receive so much joy from the earth each day.

Today is Earth Day. Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970, as a way to create awareness about environmental issues and as a way to “keep the earth clean and green.” What a beautiful day outside to celebrate Mother Earth. Deep blue unclouded sky. As the day progressed a few wispy clouds joined the celebration but quickly dissipated. Mid-afternoon clouds with rain in their gray and purple bellies gathered low on the horizon. The birds are flitting around singing songs in harmony with Mother Earth. The birds are grateful for the joyous day and thankful for the bird feeders and bird baths.

The Earth is happy. The sun is hot and bright. Every 24 hours enough sunlight touches the earth to provide energy for the entire planet for 24 years. That big ball of fire in the sky is powerful. Almost blistered my arms sitting in the swing this afternoon. I was inspired by nature’s beauty and started thinking about how the sun and the sky represent life. The sun represents the cycle of life. The sun gives life but she needs the rain clouds to sustain life. The dawn of day brings light and life and the setting sun at the end of day brings the end of day’s light, symbolizing death. The setting sun need clouds to make a beautiful sunset, needs rain to watercolor her rainbows.

Second Corinthians 1:3-4 reads, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” Just as the sun rises each day we are reminded that we can all rise from the darkness of a thunderous storm. As we pray for God’s healing grace, eventually a small ray of sun will poke through the clouds and then we’ll begin putting one foot in front of the other, making our way through the world again. We’ll walk a different path but the warmth of the sun on our faces will be a reminder of God’s love. Don’t let yesterday’s clouds and shadows spoil the sunshine of tomorrow.

To Mother Earth and all my friends and loved ones, I give you my favorite blessing. Used it many times before but it just fits well with today. Apache Blessing — “May the sun bring you new energy by the day, may the moon softly restore you by night, may the rain wash away your worries, may the breeze blow new strength into your being, may you walk gently through the world and know its beauty all the days of your life.”

“Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.” — Albert Einstein