Father on Father’s Day: Caretaker of the Earth

We come and go, but the land is always here, and the people who love it and understand it are the people who own it – for a little while.—Willa Cather

Father’s role was caretaker of the earth.

Although my father was a private person, his beliefs were evident in his role as caretaker of the earth—as if it were holy; and the many ways he applied the wisdom of nature to his life. He didn’t just think about how he valued the planet, he lived out that basic precept in his activities of each day. Coming from the old school of farming, he knew that all things mattered, that the world consisted of intricate, interwoven elements and he was a caretaker of that design.

Paying Attention
I don’t remember if I ever heard father say that everything is connected—that even a stone has a presence—but I saw it in the way he paid attention to the changing moisture in the soil, the symmetry of the terraces he carved. And in the gentle way he cupped amber seeds before planting. These were his meditations. Wherever Father went, he carried with him what he learned about honoring the earth.

His inspired mind was evident in the way he designed his fields, the beautiful symmetry of the terraces he carved, the fine stitching of yellow threads connecting green quilt blocks of land. Whatever Dad did, he did so appreciating the gift he was given, remaining true to what he saw in his role as caretaker of the earth. My father didn’t talk much about what was going on inside him, but sometimes I saw him staring across the land, taking in the hills, the little grove of trees, the creek. Each of the images in his fields an affirmation of the part he played as protector and master craftsman of his small plot of ground.

Passing Through
Thinking, creating and making thoughtful choices were his modus operandi. He accepted the infinite capacities of the universe, and yet, acknowledging a bigger truth, possessed the insight to realize his own finiteness. Once he said “This land is not mine, not yours. We are only passing through.” As dark clouds gathered in the west, he continued, “This is our time. We better learn how to take care of this earth or we won’t have it for long.” –Becky Breed

Addendum:

The well-being of our planet depends on all of us to care and nurture Mother Earth.  Father developed a reciprocal relationship with a plot of ground and rotated crops every year, never over-planted and didn’t use herbicides or insecticides. In return, Mother Earth gave him good crops, adequate top soil and a respect for the planet. As an old man father’s influence grew, he connected to others in genuine and endearing ways. Father lived by the mantra that when we respect each other and the land, all of us flourish.

Writing/Creativity Exercise:

Read “The Peace of All Things” by Wendell Berry https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/peace-wild-things-0/.   Take a walk, perhaps in a park or on a trail, a drive in the country, and explore nature’s wonders. Consider the infinitesimally small creations to the larger miracles of the natural world–the changing colors of light, tweets of a bird, the girth of an old oak.  Slow your observations and pay detailed attention. Create an example through writing, painting, photography or another creative form that expresses your love and respect for the planet. For a different writing exercise, use your creativity to express your anger or despair on how the earth is being ravaged and misused.

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