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Mother's Day is a special day for The Pachamama Alliance because it gives us an opportunity to highlight the mother we all share – our Mother Earth.
It allows us to draw extra attention to our deep belief in the importance of honoring the Earth not just on Mother's Day, but every day.
Because Mother Earth is in ecological crisis, it is imperative that we open up dialogue in our communities, and share our concern about the impact we are having on the planet.
Heeding the importance of this, some of our Awakening the Dreamer Symposium Facilitators launched a pilot project that was met with surprising success. Pachamama Alliance Facilitators Howard Friend, Sue Starapoli, and Bill Grover submitted op-ed pieces to their local media, and were pleased to have them accepted for publication.
Using an original letter titled Listening to Our Mother (.pdf), authored by Howard Friend, each facilitator customized their message to uniquely express the meaning and importance of mothers, motherhood, and their concern about what is happening to our shared mother.
Quotes from the Published Op-ed Pieces
- I am rediscovering the love and gratitude of my childhood in the 4.5 billion year role Earth has played in my existence. - Bill Grover, Father, Architect, Teacher, and a Vietnam-era Veteran.
Read Bill's full article.
- With Mother’s Day approaching I’m reminded of how much my mother cared for her children, and how sad it was when she was the one needing care. It also reminds me that we all have a mother who is not doing well now: Mother Earth. - Sue Starapoli, mother of six, grandmother of 11 and has been a wife for 46 years.
Read Sue's full article.
- We are being challenged to courageously question our basic worldview, to examine our basic assumptions and unmask our unconscious denials. Isn’t it about shifting our prevailing relationship to Mother Earth, seeing her now as a complex living being and seeing ourselves as her caretakers, much as we shift our relationship to our own mothers as we both begin to age? - Howard Friend, Presbyterian minister, organizational consultant, teacher and writer, who calls himself a 'contemplative activist.'
Read Howard's full article.
- The statistics are daunting, but discouragement disables listening . . . and acting. Thankfully, there are inspiring stories of individuals and communities taking action, along with promising legislative options. - Also by Howard Friend.
Read Howard's second full article.
In response to the reception the letters received, Bill Grover stated, "I never thought this was possible. It reaffirms belief in knowing that we never can predict the outcome of our efforts."
This unpredictability reminds us that nothing is set in stone, making every day an opportunity to change course, and align with the role we each hold as a caretaker of our planet.
