It was a small private affair because we ended up having a last minute house guest. I spent time in my yard giving thanks to all the beings who make this place home, the plants, bugs, birds, snakes (A pair of hawks are nesting in a nearby tree. One of them ate my favorite squirrel, but that is another story.) I prayed for health and well being for all beings. A lot of sadness arose, and I felt really overwhelmed as I contemplated these things:

1. My neighbor has cancer. Her husband and she soak their lawn in chemicals. I don’t know for sure that there is a correlation but I wonder. 
2. Most yards in my neighborhood are not organic. I live in a sea of chemical green that looks lush but is not healthy. 
3. There are signs posted at the park telling us not to play on the grass because pesticides have been applied. My daughter is 7 months old, needs space to crawl around outside, and we are not supposed to crawl on the grass at the park???? 
4. I suspect my pine tree is dying. I do not know the cause. 

I cannot even begin to describe my grief and overwhelm. How can I begin to grapple with oil spills etc. when my own neck of the woods is in such a sorry state? 

I made a small altar and noticed all the beauty around me, kale, peas, lilies, roses, birds, the tiny fairy garden I started for my daughter, herbs, herbs, herbs….

Fortunately, my house guest was an old friend who is moving to Boulder to teach Eco-Psychology at Naropa. We spent the weekend house hunting for her and discussing these issues. She held my heart as I felt what I felt. 

Last year, I had a lot more hope. This year, I feel exhausted. The park thing really threw me. Not being a parent in years past, I didn’t spend a lot of time in parks. I didn’t give them too much thought or if I did, I just assumed they were healthy places to play. 

I will keep up my small acts of beauty in my own yard and continue to pray for well being for all the beings in my neighborhood.