Earth Gifts and How I Have Given in Return

Write a love letter to the earth mentioning all the blessings it has given you and acknowledge how you've treated it in return. Rupi Kaur's Gratitude Writing Prompts

Dear Mother Nature and earth,

Miigwech Ashkaakamigokwe minawa Akii!

It is important that I say that in the Ojibwe language. I am not a fluent speaker, nor will I ever be. I wish to see my grandfather and grandmother that were fluent when I leave earth. The time I had to spend with my grandmother and then grandfathers was priceless.

My grandfather was a gardener, always in the garden when he wasn't listening to the Twins or Vikings on the radio. He loved the large garden that my mother had. She believed that with a large family a garden was necessary. We had a mom, a grandpa, after dad died and 5 kids.

Sometime after dad died like 10 years later, we had a stepdad and another brother. We were all taught the importance of nature and how important earth was. I was out of the house and my youngest brother grew up with my children who were 2 and 4 years younger.

My mother collected rainwater for the garden and plants she had in the house. She used a wringer washer and dried clothes on the clothesline when I was growing up. Only later did she have a washer and dryer. So, there was a lot to do. Every year we picked every kind of berry.

Canning was important and a lot of work until we had a freezer, then some things would be frozen. I am thankful for learning all of that. My mother recycled, reused, repurposed and refused to keep things she felt she could live without.

Water ceremony is especially important for me as without water there is no life. I was told in the late 70s that our water is in trouble. All the pollution is especially damaging. In my culture religious freedom happened about the same time. It was time to have women's gatherings. Full moon ceremony.

Then that spread and we started water ceremony, water walks, and the science caught up.

When in my 20s I started to teach my children how to do a good deed and not get found out or we would have to do another one that same day. It became about picking up someone else's trash. They got good at that and at least one of them taught their children.

There is trash all over and people don't seem to care that the trash can end up in the water. They do not know any better. Because of my mother, I have been recycling for over 50 years.

When I can I pick up others trash. At 70, it isn't always easy to do as there is so much of it.

My gratitude is so large when I think about the beauty that I see in nature. The things I hear going on in my state, others and the world. Thank you, Mother Nature and Earth, for the gifts you bring every day!

I love you Giizhaymanido for Akii,

Denise

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Describe the last time you danced in the rain. Rupi Kaur's Gratitude Writing Prompts

It was a long time ago and I'm sure I was drunk as I would walk in the snow with bare feet, swim in the nude, and dance just about anywhere. In other words, it took being intoxicated for me to do some of those things.

The thought of rain coming down and we have had a lot lately and dancing is not something a 70-year-old will probably do, but now that I have been given the idea it may just be now as the hubby says it is sprinkling outside. I enjoyed that old "Singing in the Rain" song by Gene Kelly.

Okay, I'm convinced. Something I need to do before I can no longer dance!