Be a Big Green Warrior, My Little One!

Dearest Anya,

Every parent wants his/ her kid to imbibe all possible good qualities and repel bad ones. I am no different. While this is humanly not possible, we can definitely strive to maximise the goodness. If there is one thing I would like to inculcate in you, it would be love and respect for nature. Be it majestic mountains or deep oceans, dense forests or sparse deserts, a mighty tree or a puny blade of grass, there's nothing more beautiful in the whole wide world than nature. If you love nature, you will never be lonely and if you choose to be alone, you won't get a better companion!

My dearest, I have been very fortunate to grow up in lap of nature. Aravalis were my backyard. Wilderness, fields and canals were my playground. I have spent innumerable evenings strolling amidst these wonders. The silhouette of a tree, the sharpness of a rock, the smell of a crushed leaf, the rustle of grass, all of them left a lasting impression on me.  A mango tree would lend its sturdy branch for hosting a swing, canals would  give me a quick dip and merrily transport my paper boats, jhadberis would share their sweet and tart berries if I braved their thorns and hills would provide fantastic views if I made an effort to climb them. They all became my dear friends. 

Now, I live in a metro and don't often get to meet these friends but their love has left a deep imprint in my heart. Wordsworth expressed my very own feelings when he said in his famous poem "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud":

     "I gazed—and gazed—but little thought

     what wealth the show to me had brought

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;"

I want you to get high and rich on such wealth. When I take you for those walks to a nearby lake, it's for you to make such friends. I want you to love nature because one strives to protect what one loves. Our planet gives us everything. From the air we breathe, to the water we drink, to the food we eat, we are totally dependent on our planet. And yet, it pains me to see that, we destroy what sustains us. We have littered the whole earth for our convenience. We have cut forests and mined resources to fulfil our whims. We have pumped toxins in our water, filled air with pollution laced our food with undesirable chemicals. We are basically sawing away the very branch we sit upon. I want you to pause and think. "Do I really need another doll? Do I want one more pencil box?" It might sound ridiculous right now but I hope these questions would graduate to "Do I need another pair of shoes? Do I need another gadget? Do I need more, more and more of everything?" Be sensitive. Be protective. Wherever you are, whatever you do, do it in a way which is least harmful to the planet. 

You definitely have learnt a few things and it makes me so happy and proud when you act as my monitor. 

"Mamma don't waste water" this, if I keep a tap open for a second longer. 

"Mamma, why did you leave the light on?" this, if I walk out of a room without switching off light. 

"Mamma, have you taken a bag?" this, when we go shopping.

Keep it up, sweetie pie, because the world needs more such green warriors to make it a better place. 

Love,

Mom

This post is being written for #MomsforaBetterWorld Project