They all seem so mundane. Separating the clear glass from the colored glass, and both from the metal. Taking the garbage out to the compost pile, to add to my husband’s “chip and shred” pile. Stacking the old newspapers carefully for recycling. Picking up the stray piece of litter on the parking lot. Things we do every day, to help protect the planet.
In 1997 I bought a new car when I completed my education, as a gift to myself. I drove that car until just last year when I traded it in on a hybrid car. It feels so good to know I am using so much less gas.
There is so much to Michael’s legacy, that it’s hard to select just one aspect. But I am particularly partial to caring for the planet. I may not live IN the trees, but I sure don’t want to live without them, either. When we were searching for our present home, I told the real estate lady that the house had to have trees. I wouldn’t even look at a house if there were not enough trees in the yard: why inconvenience the present owner when I knew that, no matter what the inside of the house looked like, if there weren’t trees, I really wasn’t interested?
I knew our present house was just right when I saw the trees. The lovely lilac bush on the far side of the house sealed the deal for me. I grieved for days when a huge tree living much too near the house had to be taken down, because its roots were attempting to grow into the basement. Our back yard is full of trees, which means it is also full of birds and squirrels. I recently purchased an elaborate bird feeding system, which is installed outside the window of the room where I work. We provide water and all kinds of food for the birds, and they honor us with their presence. Of course, this means also providing food for the squirrels, because otherwise they go after the bird food…once they even knocked down the suet holder and dragged it across the yard after taking the suet from it.
I rescued plants from the yard where I had grown up. There was a beautiful antique pink rosebush that spreads everywhere. I trimmed some branches and brought them to my present home. Mom would always say, Just stick them in the dirt! So I did. That rosebush is now much taller than me, and each May it blesses us with beautiful, fragrant, pink roses. In fact, I planted it near a fence (to cover the fence!) and our neighbors enjoy the roses too.
We rescued Day Lilies, Iris, and many other plants. We started grapevines from vines that originally had been grown by my grandfather. We may not be expert gardeners, but we enjoy watching all the plants grow, bear fruit or flowers, and die back in the fall and winter.
I think each of us has our own ways of living the legacy…some of us have more than one way. What matters is that collectively, we do it. What we do in our little corner of the world may be "mundane," but it matters. We can Heal the World. We must, because We Are the World.
by Diana Foley
Copyright (c) 2011
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