Melinda 's Letter

To my dearest Madeleine and Leon,

Since you were old enough to explore your surroundings, you have astounded me in your ability to feel the deepest love and compassion for all living things around you. You have brought me to tears as you cradled small wounded insects in your tiny hands or when you cried at seeing trees being cut down. I will never forget sitting in the snow next to you as we sang a quiet eulogy to a fallen tree in the woods behind our house because the sight had broken your heart. I wish I had a better answer to your "why mommy, why do people hurt animals, cut down the trees and poison the oceans?" All I could do was endeavour to be worthy of your love and respect, to continue to teach you what I knew about the wonders of the natural world and to encourage you to think of all the ways you could help.

Because the world needed you, needed your open heart and kindness, your passion and willingness to stand up for those who have no voice. Your sense of justice.

Now you are grown, you may have small children of your own looking up to you and gracing you with their own love and deep wisdom. I dearly hope that those in power have not disappointed you. That my generation has been worthy of your respect. That the rivers are flowing wild and free, cool and clean and full of fish. I hope that we have cleaned up the oceans, that all ancient forests are protected by law and that people finally understand how deeply connected we are to the natural world.

I hope that you are still looking up to the full moon through the trees at night, laying on a thick carpet of earthy moss, listening to the crickets and watching fireflies twinkle past. I hope there are still wild tigers and giant whales to fire your imagination, colourful salamanders and frogs to gaze at with muddy knees. I hope you still have all the wildflowers to dance with and that your beloved bumblebees still gather around you in great buzzing numbers.
I truly believe that all these things are so deeply connected to the beating of your heart and that one feeds the other. I hope that now every heart beats out of love for every living thing the way yours always has, no matter how small, no matter how strange, for then I know that there would be nothing to worry about.

I could not be more proud of you both and will never stop trying to make you proud by doing everything I can to make this world a better place for you and all who live in it.

I love you more than words could ever say,

Your Mom