Children in the Spring
As a mother and daughter, I have learned to lean on the Great Mother Gaia to provide uncomplicated support during all seasons. Metaphorically, she represents reciprocity, abundance, stability, and beauty. I can tune into her vibration for guidance when human relationships feel more complex.
Memories of my mom alone in her garden founded this appreciation. This is where she found peace. Sheets dried on a clothesline continue to be one of my favorite things, and radishes and snow peas in the spring remind me of the breakfast I would choose as I was unleased, barefoot, and dew-kissed in the early summer days of this incarnation.
When my daughter was around 4, she pulled up my green beans because she knew how much time in the garden meant to me. It was my break from the constant demands of being a business owner, wife, and mother. It was where I listened, and it took time away from her.
Raising our kids in natural environments has always been a value. As much as they call me the nature nerd or meditation lady, all the clutter falls away when they set out on a trail. The melodic steps create their meditative flow; the walls come down, and imagination blossoms.
Accessing my inner child on a subconscious level helps me connect with my children better. Research shows that forest bathing, which is walking in the woods, and earthing, which is placing your bare feet directly on the earth, help to regulate our nervous systems. This puts us in harmony and coherence with our ecosystem.
We live in a world of overstimulation, and children process life energetically as they develop their reasoning abilities. If we slow down enough to allow this gift, we can nurture and learn from them. Cultivating their free spirit is necessary for the health of our future.
Reversing the damage we’ve done to our planet requires an individual effort. Heather White of One Green Thing says, ‘Individual action shifts the culture.’ She suggests we should not rely on individual contribution math to convince us because our influence is impactful and not captured in that data. She suggests individual household changes can contribute to a 25% reduction in emissions.
Our children are growing up understanding that their parents' consumer-driven culture does not support their future. We’re not, as the Iroquois and other Native Americans have suggested, planning for a sustainable world seven generations forward.
Learning from our kids and connecting with them around conservation opportunities allows us to grow together and nurture that innate understanding of our interconnectedness. After all, we are part of the ecosystem—what we do to one, we do to the whole. How can we question war, disease, and hatred when we treat our planet, which sustains us with these very qualities?
As spring teaches us the rebirth available after a long winter and our energy picks up to do more in the world, here are some fun activities you can enjoy with your children as a way to bring the intentional reciprocity needed to honor the Great Mother:
- Compost—save vegetable scraps for a composting container or space in your yard. To become nutrient-rich soil, it must be mixed with dry, organic material like leaves and newspaper. Adding worms aids in this process.
- Hike — our parks are an incredible treat for anyone! Full of birds, deer, flora, and walking paths, let the melody of your soul lead you forward.
- Ride a bike — not much takes one back to the freedom of youth, like the wind in one’s hair, embodying all senses for safety and fun. Rentals are available in multiple locations around Louisville.
- Get a bird feeder — Bring nature to your window to help you remember.
- Visit a nature center — learn more about our natural world. Some options include the Louisville Nature Center, Waterfront Botanical Gardens, the Parklands, Falls of the Ohio, Bernheim, and Jefferson Memorial Forest. Many offer classes.
- Incorporate Ritual — any organic element you offer the earth, such as flowers, seeds, hair, or food, allows a moment to honor all she gives back. You can share yourself with the offering through intention and your breath.
It is through harmonious relationships that our world will find peace.
