As I thought about what to write about Earth Day, many things came to mind.  I could provide ways to conserve energy, clean up the planet, and reduce our carbon footprint.  I could talk about the importance of supporting local farms, eating organic, and responsible farming.  But the more I thought about these things, the less I wanted to write about them.  Not because they are not important.  Instead, I wanted to focus on the underlying meaning behind all of these efforts, which is to celebrate and take care of the gift we have been given in nature.

Of course, when I think about words that encapsulate for me the wonders of the earth, I look to the poetry of Walt Whitman.  So, today, I offer a section from Whitman's "Song of Myself" which I feel crystallizes the spirit of Earth Day:

I believe that our ability to thrive both as individuals and as a society depends on our ability to embrace nature.  To understand the complexity of this thought, consider the definition of 'nature':

1. the inherent character or basic constitution of a person or thing : essence 
2. a creative and controlling force in the universe; an inner force or the sum of such forces in an individual
   
3. the physical constitution or drives of an organism
4. a spontaneous attitude
   
5. the external world in its entirety
   
6. humankind's original or natural condition; a simplified mode of life resembling this condition
7. the genetically controlled qualities of an organism
   
8. natural scenery