Ignorance might be bliss to some, but a lot can pass you by while you are enraptured by it. There are people so gifted at the art of playing ignorant they are incapable of seeing a literal elephant in the room. Most just casually brush off what is seen as mundane, but is actually a remarkable feat.

The world shows us an incredibly unique display of life, and all its potential, constantly; would it hurt you to stop and take notice, if only for a moment? Likely not, but it may hurt you not to. And, when it comes to the natural world a moment is no small amount of time. A moment can often make a tremendous amount of difference. Think of these moments as snowflakes; each unlike any other and millions upon millions of them; enjoy your moments because they are yours and yours alone. For that flash of time you and nature connect, becoming one and sharing something that neither one of you does with any other living thing. Do not be afraid or hesitant to give yourself over to moments like that for you must feel truly open and free to embrace that kind of miracle.

The planet effortlessly brings a sense of hope; it is simple, honest and pure, yet many of us choose to harshly ignore it. All living things feel and each holds its own individual perspective of what things are like from where it stands. Just as we may feel unknown eyes on us, standing alone in the dark and deceivingly empty woods, the flowers and trees, animals and insects all take notice when we pay attention. A deer as aware as the grass it nibbles on, they all reciprocate your efforts and you will see it if you have the patience and pay close attention. Be gracious and receptive. It is an intricate dance, but only to be done by two who have in mind a common goal and if so, it can be true majesty.

Our relationship with nature and the planet appears very complex. It is, but it is also quite simple, as should be the foundation of any relationship. We human-folk, however, do all of the overcomplicating and under-simplifying in this while the world around us compensates and sacrifices; a huge number of them unwillingly. We spend much of our lives pleading with others to understand us. We attempt over and over again to explain ourselves in the hopes of achieving some kind of acceptance. Perhaps, we are doing the same with the planet. Could all of our efforts really be an attempt to gain acceptance by masking it as an attempt to gain forgiveness? Perhaps, we are trying to apologize without admitting we’ve done anything wrong. Perhaps, we should sit down, take a moment and ask ourselves who it is we are trying to convince.

We have a lot to be sorry for, though it all really stems from a single root. Having become bored of the natural world, mistaking life for redundant routine, we humans nestle quite cosily into the arms of consumption. We took a mistress and have led two lives for far too long. Worst of all, the affair was blatant, obvious to any with eyes, and has left chaos and destruction in its wake. And, while we neglect it, and at times abandon it, nature has yet to penalize us for acting as though we had no choice. We give it no choice but to take us back.

I am afraid we are all very mistaken and misguided if we continue to behave as though we believe this. Scandalously, we have tried to make amends with nature, standing before it, consumption and its ever-tightening grip right at our sides. The process of healing and forgiving cannot even begin to take place until we realize we cannot have it all. More importantly, we need the realization that what we needed was present all along.