When I mention “Mother Earth,” what comes to mind? Many people envision her as our planet, but
she represents much more than that. Mother Earth is not just the mother of our planet, she is the mother of all planets, extending into space and beyond. Sadly, we, her children, often inflict the most abuse upon her. Her love, wealth, and resources are frequently taken for granted, and this abuse has only worsened over centuries.
Since 2000, greed has intensified, and there seems to be no end to our insatiable desires. Mother Earth has repeatedly attempted to guide us back onto the right path. Like spoiled children, we continue to take more than we need. We are destroying mountains, erasing forests, and polluting the seas with our waste, wars, and construction projects that intrude upon spaces meant to be hers. Our development on both land and sea has severely impacted plant and animal life and continues to strain the Earth’s ecosystems.
COVID taught us how uncertain life is and emphasized the importance of valuing time and
relationships. Yet, we succumbed to FOMO (fear of missing out) and a frenzy over accessibility.
While this may have benefited the economy, we must ask ourselves, at what cost? Would we allow
people to enter our homes and do as they please? Would we let them tear our houses down? This applies to individuals across all castes, creeds, and financial status.
There seems to be no end to our wants, while our needs are forgotten. What is the use of having plants in our homes, offices, and gardens if we are ruining the planet that provides the means for their growth? What if she decides to stop the supply? Mother Earth is slowly shutting down, and we are already witnessing the results of her gradual decline. Imagine if she accelerated her discontent
what would happen then?
Have you heard the story of the hen that laid golden eggs? Once a poor farmer was given a hen that laid a golden egg each day, allowing him to sell the eggs and become wealthy. However, the farmer grew greedy and wanted instant wealth, so he killed the hen to retrieve all the eggs at once. Upon cutting open the hen, he found no eggs and lost his only source of income.
We are the farmer, and Mother Earth is the hen. The lesson she is trying to teach us, is one we
learned in school, not to be greedy. Greed can lead to the loss of valuable blessings.
The matter at hand highlights a general lack of awareness, and it is crucial to acknowledge that we have considerable progress to make. We should strive to be more conscious and intentional in our decisions. While discussions about the impacts of vegetarianism versus non vegetarianism on the planet and the animal kingdom are valid and important, we must also recognize the larger concern: our preferences and lifestyles may negatively impact the Earth.