Taking and Giving

It’s November, Thanksgiving is coming soon and it’s the time of year when our thoughts often turn to gratitude. There are many things for which I’m grateful and chief among them is this earth.
We humans ask a lot and take a lot, and this earth keeps giving up what we need.

As a ceramicist, I take my materials directly from the earth—clay, glazing minerals and even fuel to burn it all up and transform it into something beautiful. The things I make might last a thousand years but they will eventually break and erode back to pebbles, sand and finally some kind of dirt. But that’s not really giving back to the earth for all that I’ve received. I don’t want to be like the man in The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein and just take and take. So, how can I return something to the earth?

I’ve written before about trying to conserve resources and use them wisely in the pursuit of my happiness and I very much work on that. But there’s a part of me that loves to think that I can give back to the earth and it is somehow aware of my gratitude. How can I do that?

Like a lot of people, I try to live a bit lighter on our planet. My efforts include planting flowers that feed pollinators, choosing renewable resources, walking to work as often as I can and just being aware of the non-human world around me.
When I’m working in my studio, a little part of my attention is tuned to what’s happening in the backyard. Sometimes birds will send alarm calls to each other, or the squirrels and scrub jays will be hiding walnuts in the soft dirt of the garden. Hummingbirds will often visit the lemon tree and when it’s fully in bloom the bees are loud enough to make a significant background noise!

Being part of all this gives me so much happiness and contentment. On the days that I can’t spend some time outdoors, I tend to get peevish and grumpy. I need that little connection with the earth to feel like the human I want to be. If enough of us are thoughtful of the earth and give it space, hopefully it will register our love and gratitude.

With much gratitude, thank you Earth!!