My 6-year old daughter gave me the tiny snail shell she collected yesterday on her journey around the pond adjacent to our home.  As she handed me her newest treasure  she made me promise  to “never, never, never give it to anyone else”.  I made my promise, and as I stared down at my hand and looked at the small, fragile shell resting in the center of my palm, I smiled and gave thanks for all of the beauty that surrounds us in this world.  All of the wondrous things that happen all around us every second of every day.  All of the little miracles of life that we sometimes take for granted because we cannot see them clearly with our eyes. 

And then I thought about all of the terribly sad things that happen in this life.  The wars, the poverty, the hunger, the despair that touches far too many lives day in and day out with no reprieve.  I thought of  the mothers and fathers who struggle to care for and protect their families – who have no other thoughts but those of survival – and of the children who never get to go hunting for snail shells down by the pond, and it made me weep.  What will this world be like in another forty years – will we have made a difference? 

I am never without hope, but it is a constant struggle not to lost it.  I hope for this upcoming Earth Day we remember there is much more to be done than drinking out of stainless steel water bottles and taking our reusable shopping bags with us to the grocery store. 

~Peace.

What are you doing to make this world a better place?  Do you still have hope in humanity?

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