Happy Earth Day~Dear Mother Earth

Dear Mother Earth,

Thank you for the constant source of inspiration in your beauty that surrounds me. I could go on for pages about the soothing powers of your oceans,

the magnificence of your mountains,
 


the beauty to be found in the sunrise...



and your oh-so-glorious sunsets.

I love you, Mother Earth, for allowing me to open myself to the possibilities of truly "seeing" and experiencing the natural world around me...

But most of all, today, I want to thank you for giving me the eyes, and the heart, and the soul, to see the small details of your handiwork.







 

Sometimes, in our busy modern lives, we rush headlong through our days with such haste, too busy to notice you...


Until you take matters into your own hands, and send us a gift to capture our attention.
 

 


I realize now you want me to see that in my hurry to get through the day, I might miss the loving care you put into tiny details of Life...
 

like the unassuming beauty of a fallen leaf
 
 



or the pastel coloring and delicate features of the lichen and moss.
 


So, this photo essay is in gratitude and reverence to the beauty to be found in Nature, on a small scale, if I take the time to look.

For I can see lessons in your all handiwork...even in the mushrooms, lichen, and other fungi-
 



what I see is that life continues, even when it seems that one part is gone...



and often what we leave behind "feeds" the hearts and souls of others.



To fully appreciate your subtle, small-scale beauty, I have to lean in close to you, Mother:



When I do, I see the multi-layered world upon worlds that you offer me.


It sometimes takes getting a little "dirty" as many of these photos can only be shot on hands and knees...and sometimes lying flat on my belly.
 

But, look at the rewards:

You are such a loving mother...you care for your children and offer us precious gifts in the small details of Life...

And all you ask, in return, is that we take the time...and that we make the time...to see it



Thank you, dear Mother Earth, for giving me a source of solace and inspiration in your intricate details.

For in your daedal handiwork, Dear Mother,
 


I see the strength of the oak forest,

And on close inspection, I see the rosin blood of the pines....

In the contrast of the tree's bark and spider's web...I see the gamut of Nature's gossamer loveliness and her stalwart strength.
 


Though sometimes your trees may have cracks and crevices...


or even holes drilled and pecked...
 

they are still strong enough to house your feathered, furry, and insect children.
 


I thank you for helping me see, not only the blooming flowers,

but also the tiny buds.




For in them, and in the sprouting ferns...

I see the promise of tomorrow.

Thank you for allowing me to see what some might call weeds...

 

and helping me understand they play an important role in the cycle of Life.



And thank you, especially, for the dew drops....


Those sparkling, translucent water diamonds that I find so breathtaking...



I think Gibran says it best:
For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.
Kahlil Gibran (1883 - 1931), The Prophet

I offer my thanks in words and photos here, and my love for being allowed to see your small details...
 


And Mother, I understand now...

You want us to realize we are all---every person, animal, plant, insect and bird,

no matter how small



are all part of a larger scheme of things...
 

And each of us, even the very small ones...contributes to this world in our own special ways.



Thank dear Mother Earth for showing me, through the beauty of Nature, even that the small details in Life are important.


With Love,
Rose
Happy Earth Day!

Rose Steedley Williams
©Southernstoryteller~2008
All photos are the property of Rose S. Williams and may not be reproduced without my consent.