Eleanor's Letter

My baby,

Dear little one,

As you grow in my womb I imagine what it will be like to hold you in my arms. I imagine all of the wonderful things we will get to do together. I'd like to share my hopes for some of them now.

I want to lay you down in a woodland so that you can watch the trees, listen to the sounds of the wild and take in the smell of the forest floor. I want to show you that you are part of nature and you fit perfectly in the world you were born into.

I want to take you swimming in the river and know that the water is clean and safe. I want us to share our delight as dragonflies skim the water and fish swim around our feet.

I want to climb mountains with you to meet great birds of prey and to walk down through valleys lush and alive with the plants and creatures of the world.

I want to play with you on the seashore collecting shells and marvelling in rockpools, knowing that there is space for nesting birds, seals and marine creatures as well as ourselves.

I want you to be able to walk barefoot, breath clean air and enjoy eating food grown with care for the land it grew in.

We will know the names of the plants and animals we meet, and you and your friends will share stories of the incredible things you have experienced.

It will be a joy to tread lightly on the earth with you. I am filled with hope that this will be your future, that all these things will be possible for you. I hope that the decisions made today will provide you with a life in harmony with nature.

With love
Your Mama