“REALLY?  One more thing to add to an already crammed day,” the busy mother asks as she reviews

the suggested Earth Day events sent home with her daughter’s homework assignments.

Go gentle into that busy day, dear souls!

Earth Day is not an opportunity to pack your day with yet ONE MORE THING to do – but rather to observe and honor all the ways you contribute to the health of the planet.  When I was dubbed “Recycling Queen” many decades ago, RE USE was considered quirky and not all that popular.  And finding 100% recylced paper was an arduous search and journey and cost a great deal more than regular paper.  Three decades ago one had to search for a recycling depot – and now curbside recycling is mandated in many communities.  There are dozens of choices for recycled paper and recycled products.  Including clothing and accessories.

This Earth Day you don’t have to go any where special in order to NOTICE all the ways you contribute to the increasingly “GREEN” attitude toward our planet.  Do you take your own bags to the grocery store?  Do you walk instead of driving?  Do you re-use your lunch bag and pack food in washable containers instead of throw-away bags?  These are all actions that are EARTH DAY celebrations.  See?  Easy. A simple pleasure.

Lifting your vision to the larger picture, there is so much more to do.  Reasonable requirements for safety and planning before off-shore oil drilling permits are released, spot-checks on compliance for trash/transfer stations who are required to be conducting on-site separation and recycling.  What can you DO about such things as these?  Notice.  Observe.  Write your elected officials.  Inquire of your service providers.  Jump start your Green actions by noticing today all they ways you have implemented care for the planet and identifying the measures you have yet to begin.  There’s 364 days before the next celebration – see what simple things you can do toward a greater courtesy toward your Earth.

We’ve come a long way toward GREEN and we have ever so much further to go before our dear planet can breathe a sigh of relief and say, “Ah, yes.   They ARE going to care for me, tenderly.”

Loving the planet is a perfect and honorable thing to consider as part of a Holy Week practice.  Walking gently and being GREEN is a holy action of love toward the planet that upholds us.