EARTH, TEACH ME
An Ute Prayer
Earth teach me quiet—as the grasses are still with new light.
Earth teach me suffering—as old stones suffer with memory.
Earth teach me humility—as blossoms are humble with beginning.
Earth teach me caring—as mothers nurture their young.
Earth teach me courage—as the tree that stands alone.
Earth teach me limitation—as the ant that crawls on the ground.
Earth teach me freedom—as the eagle that soars in the sky.
Earth teach me acceptance—as the leaves that die each fall.
Earth teach me renewal—as the seed that rises in the spring.
Earth teach me to forget myself—as melted snow forgets its life.
Earth teach me to remember kindness—as dry fields weep with rain.
Let the words of this beautiful prayer float around you as they are sung by this talented choir.
Earth Day is a special day to remember and celebrate all that is good and beneficial about our Earth. We are the stewards of this Home to us all. And just as caregivers to children or elders know, the cared-for also teach us in profound ways. The Earth and all of Nature—our Mother Earth, our Mother Nature—can teach us qualities we need to know. Are we receptive? We can learn listening skills from the quiet of grasses in the morning light. We can learn resilience from the suffering of our earth and rocks from exploitation and apply that to the heavy stones we carry of our burdensome memories. Like a child, we can cultivate wonder and humility as we watch the miraculous unfolding of flowers. We can learn responsibility and how to nurture vulnerable creations as we watch animal parents care for their young. The solitude of a lone tree can offer us a model of courage and fortitude in the face of harsh conditions. When we feel small and inadequate, we can remember how the ant lives with limitations, and in that reality, can actually perform great feats. An eagle in the sky models freedom and possibilities. We can learn acceptance and peace from the cycle of life. There are yearly lessons of renewal and rejuvenation with each Spring. We can learn about transformation and transcendence as we watch snow melt to water, water turn to vapor, vapor fall as rain. And as that rain provides the very basic need of water to dry plant life, we can learn about kindness, philanthropy, and grace. There, but by the grace of God, go I. Imagine our world, our Earth, our lives if everyone learned these eleven lessons. Happy Earth Day!
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