“Sooner or later, we will have to recognise that the Earth has rights, too, to live without pollution. What mankind must know is that human beings cannot live without Mother Earth, but the planet can live without humans”. – Evo Morales
Oh Mother Earth how I love thee. I am disheartened by the constant heartache you have to face. The earthquakes, the floods, the wildfires and the taking away of your beauty. It saddens me greatly. You are such a beautiful place! I sincerely hope that future generations learn to love and protect you and don’t throw the beauty we have away. There is so much working against you.
As I breathe in the thick smoky, polluted air today that has blown in to Minnesota all the way from the fierce wildfires burning in Alberta, Canada, I am sad and filled with despair. When will we take better care of our most important thing we have? Our planet?
Of course some of these forces are simply due to Mother Nature but many other devastating things are due to humans. How will you handle over 8 billion people living and taking your resources? I wish there was an easy answer.
Our beautiful pristine Northern Minnesota.
“When we recognise the virtues, the talent, the beauty of Mother Earth, something is born in us, some kind of connection, love is born”. – Thich Nhat Hanh
The green lush countryside of Guatemala
“You carry Mother Earth within you. She is not outside of you. Mother Earth is not just your environment. In that insight of inter-being, it is possible to have real communication with the Earth, which is the highest form of prayer”. – Thich Nhat Hanh
The French Alps
“I see a lot of damage to Mother Earth. I see water being taken from creeks where water belongs to animals, not to oil companies”. – Winona LaDuke
Volcano erupting in Guatemala
“We should honor Mother Earth with gratitude; otherwise our spirituality may become hypocritical”. – Radhanath Swami
Waterfall in Iceland
“If we want to increase our own happiness, we need to invest in growing the community happiness and also take care of the whole, of Mother Earth”. – Guilherme Leal
Sunset on a lake in Minnesota
“Even the people who come our way look upon us in amazement, that we run only for the healing of Mother Earth”. – Dennis Banks
Sunset in Hawassa, Ethiopia
Sunset over Lake Tana in Ethiopia
“I feel very passionately that we need to take care of the planet and everything on it. Whether it’s saving the Amazon or just being kind to those around you, we need to take care of each other and Mother Earth”. – Olivia Newton-John
A glacier in Iceland
The amazing ice formations on a glacier
Tomorrow is Mother’s Day and I will be spending it with my mom and sister on a girl’s trip to Europe. I will not be blogging while I’m away but will have plenty of wonderful new content when I return. Wishing all you moms a wonderful day and a great week! This post is dedicated to our special Mother Earth in honor of Mother’s Day.
<3 Our mother is Gaia – we small creatures spinning on this irreplaceable jewel in a vast dark, cold universe. We may not be intelligent life at all – as we wish to call ourselves – but just a very clever virus which will, in time, run its course and be cast out by its host.
As always, your photos are spectacular. I have to challenge some of your text, though. “I am disheartened by the constant heartache you have to bare (sic). The earthquakes, the floods, the wildfires and the taking away of your beauty. It saddens me greatly.” I am not convinced that earthquakes, floods and wildfires are a “heartache” that Earth must bear. Those are not inflicted upon her, they are her responses to forces she embodies. The movement of tectonic plates, the redistribution of water, and fires that erupt from lightning strikes in a forest laden with deadwood are symptoms of her health, actually. When human impact precipitates these events and when the extraction of resources leaves her with indelible scars, that is indeed a heartache!
Yes I of course know that humans don’t cause earthquakes and not all fires are caused by humans either. They are a force of nature. I just feel terrible about the destruction of her habitat to feed us. And the cutting down of natural forests to provide wood and palm oil (rainforests) and the list goes on. I was just speaking my heart but didn’t necessarily mean that everything is caused by humans. But with over 8 billion people on the planet there is definitely a big big threat. And climate change is a real huge issue.
Thanks for always keeping me on my toes! Sometimes I get carried away with emotion so I appreciate it!
Oh and thanks for the reminder too that yes the powerful forces of nature are part of a healthy nature. I didn’t mean to focus on all the bad but I am so concerned about the future of our planet that it sometimes keeps me up at night worrying!
By now you’ll be safely home I presume. Hope you feel rested and revived. 🙂
I just got home Sunday night and am still jet lag! But it is nice to be home. I feel a bit overwhelmed trying to catch up to blogging and I took over 1,000 photos that will need to be edited. At least I will have lots of great stories to share. Hope you are well Miriam. Loving your posts on gratitude!
Thanks Nicole. Wow, 1000 photos! Still, try not to feel too overwhelmed. See it as a labor of love. And as for the blogging, again just take it at your own pace. No one can ever really catch up with all the blogs that are continuously been written every day. We just do what we can, for us. xo
That is so true Miriam. For some reason, I always feel bad when I can’t do more. But yes life is busy and it is good to just take my time. I wish I had more to read more blogs, write more of my own and so forth. We are coming on our summer break here so I am sure the gorgeous weather will keep me wanting to spend as much time as possible outside!
I know what you mean Nicole. There’s just not enough hours in the day to enjoy it all!
Yes and now our weather is amazing!!! All I want to do is play and be outside. I usually slow way down on blogging in the summer.
I don’t blame you. I think I’d be the same. Whereas here, the weather’s cooling down and the skies are gray, it’s becoming more indoorsy weather.
Enjoy your trip, Nicole. I look forward to future pics and the accompanying stories. Happy Mother’s Day to you, and to all the other Mother’s out there. Today is your day! Enjoy the wilderness whenever you can!
What a beautiful post, and an especially exquisite set of photographs. I think you did some kind of treatment to them in post-editing software – it works very well, making the photographs more painterly. Wave a wonderful trip Nicole. May it be all you could hope for.
Hugs, Alison
A wonderful post Nicole for a special day. Hope you are enjoying your travels and look forward to reading all about it. A belated Happy Mother’s Day to you 🙂
lovely
Thank you!
Well said! Beautiful photos and quotes. Have a great trip !
Thanks! I’m excited to be with my mom and sister as we are all very very close but live far away from each other.
<3 Our mother is Gaia – we small creatures spinning on this irreplaceable jewel in a vast dark, cold universe. We may not be intelligent life at all – as we wish to call ourselves – but just a very clever virus which will, in time, run its course and be cast out by its host.
As always, your photos are spectacular. I have to challenge some of your text, though. “I am disheartened by the constant heartache you have to bare (sic). The earthquakes, the floods, the wildfires and the taking away of your beauty. It saddens me greatly.” I am not convinced that earthquakes, floods and wildfires are a “heartache” that Earth must bear. Those are not inflicted upon her, they are her responses to forces she embodies. The movement of tectonic plates, the redistribution of water, and fires that erupt from lightning strikes in a forest laden with deadwood are symptoms of her health, actually. When human impact precipitates these events and when the extraction of resources leaves her with indelible scars, that is indeed a heartache!
Yes I of course know that humans don’t cause earthquakes and not all fires are caused by humans either. They are a force of nature. I just feel terrible about the destruction of her habitat to feed us. And the cutting down of natural forests to provide wood and palm oil (rainforests) and the list goes on. I was just speaking my heart but didn’t necessarily mean that everything is caused by humans. But with over 8 billion people on the planet there is definitely a big big threat. And climate change is a real huge issue.
Agreed!
Thanks for always keeping me on my toes! Sometimes I get carried away with emotion so I appreciate it!
Oh and thanks for the reminder too that yes the powerful forces of nature are part of a healthy nature. I didn’t mean to focus on all the bad but I am so concerned about the future of our planet that it sometimes keeps me up at night worrying!
Me, too. There will be lots of dramatic changes in the near future, I think. Keep speaking out about the concerns!
Agreed!
lovely images for the theme
Thank you!
Your photographs are fantastic!
Thank you!
Love this series, Nicole. Beautiful, meaningful, and very moving….
Thanks Amy!
Ps you probably recognize these photos from Instagram!
Enjoy seeing it again! Thank you for the post. <3
🙂
beautifully expresses
nature’s rights 🙂
Thank you!
All a spectacular display of Earth.
Thanks so much!
Such a beautiful post. Have a lovely time in Europe – looking forward to reading about it and seeing brilliant photos.
Thanks so much! 🙂
The second photo is amazing. I bet you took more of that scenery. I would just gaze and gaze and click. 🙂
Thanks so much! Yes I love to take pictures! 🙂
Beauties all…
Thanks Sally!
Spectacular tribute to mother earth.
Thank you!
Wow, that’s quite a way to celebrate Mother’s Day! Have a marvelous time and thanks for the lovely post.
janet
Thanks Janet! Just heading home today. Getting ready for the long haul back.
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Beautiful tribute to the amazing world that we live in Nicole. Stunning photos as usual. Hope you have a wonderful week.
Thanks Miriam!
My pleasure. Are you back from your break Nicole?
Just on my last flight now. Home in two hours!
By now you’ll be safely home I presume. Hope you feel rested and revived. 🙂
I just got home Sunday night and am still jet lag! But it is nice to be home. I feel a bit overwhelmed trying to catch up to blogging and I took over 1,000 photos that will need to be edited. At least I will have lots of great stories to share. Hope you are well Miriam. Loving your posts on gratitude!
Thanks Nicole. Wow, 1000 photos! Still, try not to feel too overwhelmed. See it as a labor of love. And as for the blogging, again just take it at your own pace. No one can ever really catch up with all the blogs that are continuously been written every day. We just do what we can, for us. xo
That is so true Miriam. For some reason, I always feel bad when I can’t do more. But yes life is busy and it is good to just take my time. I wish I had more to read more blogs, write more of my own and so forth. We are coming on our summer break here so I am sure the gorgeous weather will keep me wanting to spend as much time as possible outside!
I know what you mean Nicole. There’s just not enough hours in the day to enjoy it all!
Yes and now our weather is amazing!!! All I want to do is play and be outside. I usually slow way down on blogging in the summer.
I don’t blame you. I think I’d be the same. Whereas here, the weather’s cooling down and the skies are gray, it’s becoming more indoorsy weather.
Enjoy your trip, Nicole. I look forward to future pics and the accompanying stories. Happy Mother’s Day to you, and to all the other Mother’s out there. Today is your day! Enjoy the wilderness whenever you can!
Thank you Mike!
What a beautiful post, and an especially exquisite set of photographs. I think you did some kind of treatment to them in post-editing software – it works very well, making the photographs more painterly. Wave a wonderful trip Nicole. May it be all you could hope for.
Hugs, Alison
Thanks Alison! Yes, I like to play around with my photos. It is a lot of fun. Had a great trip. Heading home today!
Beautiful Nicole – and Happy Mothers Day to you!
Thanks Tina! 🙂
Incredible images celebrating Mother Nature.
Thanks Jane!
pics are very very Kewl especially da volcano 🙂 Q
hoping ya had a great moms day! 🙂 …………..
Thanks!
Very cool quotes! And especially cool photos. Love that you’ve got them from all over the place, such a wide variety of land, eh?
Thanks so much! 🙂
A wonderful post Nicole for a special day. Hope you are enjoying your travels and look forward to reading all about it. A belated Happy Mother’s Day to you 🙂
Thanks Andrew! At the airport now heading on the long flight home. A wonderful time!