Mother Earth

The date today is February 2nd and according to the news this morning this has been the snowiest winter on record, EVER for our state. They said we've had more snow here than in Siberia so far this winter. Now there's an encouraging fact! The kids are home from school for the second day in a row due to the weather and I've lost track of how many snow days they've had so far this year.

There are few things more beautiful than the earth blanketed by a freshly fallen snow, especially when it really sticks to everything. I love looking out and seeing all of the tree branches and bushes covered in snow. Then of course if you're lucky enough to have the sun's rays illuminate it all, the sight is just breathtaking.

We have two bird feeders right outside our kitchen window and I've really enjoyed watching the birds come to feed this winter. Most come to eat but the Morning Doves have come a few times now just seeking shelter from the storm. They huddle up underneath the slight overhang on the feeder and wait for the snow to subside. I hate to tell them but at this rate, they'll be here until spring!

I'm not really a winter person. I hate being cold and I'm not into winter sports. Other than walking the kids to and from school or walking back and forth to my car I watch the winter from inside of my house. I definitely start to disconnect from the outside world once winter rolls around and usually by now I can feel a slight depression settling in as I start to long for some connection with Mother Earth. Every year I tell myself I'm going to plan a winter vacation to somewhere warm but alas, here I sit. I even went to Yankee Candle the other day out of desperation and purchased some candles with scents like lilac and green grass to see if that would help carry me through until I can smell the real deal!

I believe whole heartedly that we are connected to Mother Earth in ways that I don't fully understand. I don't know what that connection stems from but I know that all the technology in the world doesn't make me feel as fulfilled as a nice long walk in the fresh air or my bare feet walking across some plush grass or squishing my toes into the warm sand. All the money in the world doesn't make me feel as happy as the sound of the leaves of a tree rustling in the breeze or the ocean pounding onto the shore as the seagulls call to eachother overhead or a quiet stream trickling down a stony path. The smell of a candle can't compare to the smell of spring's flowers in full bloom, a freshly fallen rain or the ocean air.

Nothing can make you feel as connected, content and alive as Mother Earth herself. Something about the way her natural vibrations feed my energy or her still moments calm and soothe. Her natural resources grow the food that nourishes me and her beauty nourishes my soul. It's the oxygen she creates that allows my breath and without that I would not exist. Everything she offers has a life cycle and it's comforting to know that I'm not alone in that.

I will leave you with something written by Larry P. Aitken from the Chippewa Indian tribe and in the meantime, I think I've just talked myself into the purchase of some snowshoes!

"We grieve more because we have been disconnected from our earth, our first mother, our spiritual mother."

"Many people are lost because they don't know the importance of connection to the earth. They connect to money, relationships, to success, to goals. When we are disconnected from the earth, we have feelings of being sad or lost. When we are connected to the earth, we feel warm and secure."

"Great spirit, help me to stay connected to Mother Earth."

xo,
Carrie