Hello Friends, 

How are you this fine Monday morning? Today was the first day back to school for my kids after their spring break. Usually, this would be a time where I feel a sense of relief to finally have more hours in the day to get to the work I haven’t done in the past week. When the kids left for school, I was wearing a cloak of melancholy as I thought back to the sweet and not-so-sweet moments I shared with my children during the break. There were times when I was angry and upset with them especially when they created a mess in the house. While on my morning routine of straightening up the house, I noticed purple inked stamps all over a new nightstand. Looking closer, they were grape stamps, and right next to the nightstand were some fake grapes taken from a flower arrangement. Could it be that my kids attempted to make art and I thought of it as a mess? In that instance, I was able to see the connection to art. From the chaos of pencil marks on walls, sharpies on the carpet, stamps on furniture, and stickers on closets emerge art and my children’s sense of self-expression. I missed them even more and then I sat down to write a letter to Earth, which I had been wanting to on Earth Day. (This is a guide on how not to Monday) 

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Dear Earth, 

The day before Earth Day, the kids and I went bike riding around the neighborhood. For spring, it was rather chilly. We maneuvered our bikes in a line on the tight sidewalk. Each child of mine was on the same bike ride, but they had a different agenda. One child was all about being first in line. Another wanted to count the cracks in the asphalt as she biked over each one. The third one stayed in the back so she could talk with me. 

After a great distance, I signaled for the kids to turn back towards home. The first one was now the last and that didn’t sit well with her. She fussed and eventually took matters into her own hands. She biked across the sidewalk determined to be first not taking into account the sisters and mother she collided with on the way. Onwards she biked in a swift motion as we were left tending to our bruises. 

What happened next is beyond the scope of this letter but it left me thinking about my relationship with you. In my guise of self-importance and racing towards achieving more and producing more in less time has left a negative impact on you. I have bruised you many times when I opted for buying fast fashion, using plastic cups and forks for parties, and not putting my best effort into recycling. It has gotten to a point where now humans fear that you will be uninhabitable and rich men have devised plans of moving to Mars. 

I’m so sorry. We were meant to live alongside one another and thrive in cohabitation. Instead as humans in our power-hungry quest for control, we somehow thought we were the atom of the Universe around which all particles revolve and we left a carbon footprint. 

Even with this chaos, I have hope Earth. You, your ecosystems, and the different species that live in you deserve to be taken care of. You deserve to be taken care of not because of how you serve us but because you are Earth. A balanced and healthy human will take care of you because it’s in the nature of a human to give dignity to others. 

There are humans who have forgotten their ways and still strive on their self-serving agenda. There are humans who are deeply remorseful and are taking whatever action they can. There are others who feel guilt yet they feel a sense of overwhelm on what they should do to self-correct and so they end up doing nothing. 

For me, I will reflect on my ways of living and how it impacts you. I want to sincerely apologize and take responsibility for my actions. I know that I can be a better human and I can do better for you. Thank you for all that you have given me even when I was not the best to you.

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Thank you for reading my musings. I'll be back this Friday with a story. What are some ways you are being kind to our Planet Earth?

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If you liked this week's email, I'd love it if you could share it with a friend. Thank you for your continued love and support.

With love and gratitude, 

Sana Fayyaz

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P.S: Last week, I sent you a story I entered for a contest. You can read it here and if you like vote for it here.