Canadian Fires and Grief

We are learning that natural disasters do not stand alone. The fires in Canada  affect all of us, particularly those who live on the East Coast of the US.

The earth's changing terrain and atmosphere are a source of fear:
     Fear that life will not be the same;
     Fear that things will get worse;
     Fear that we will forget, or deny, and will continue to live in the same way;
   Fear that this is the endgame, and that the end of a habitable earth will happen in our lifetime, not in a distant future.
      Fear that we won't make it.

This sounds like grief.  Grief is real, and is with us a lot these days.  It is not a place that we get stuck in, but a process that we participate in. We identify what is going on, we deal with it in all the ways that we can, and we move forward into the future.

Natural disasters help us to connect with one another. Use this current situation as a time to connect with family and friends, and even strangers. Some of the best human behaviors happen during sudden natural events. Reaching out helps others, and it can also help you.

Don't be afraid of fear. Fear helps us to focus on what needs to be done. We need to clean up the planet. That's a big challenge. Free-flowing chronic fear will not help us, others or the planet. Find ways that you can help the planet as an individual - composting, using less plastic, turning off the lights, conserving resources, talking with others, voting for those who support positive climate change action. The energy that you put forth and the sense of helping that you feel, add to the good energy needed today.

Remember that we are in trouble. It is easy to forget. Out of respect for the planet, for one another, and for future generations, remember.

Let us search for and act upon solutions individually and collectively.  Remember the solutions.

Practice gratitude for our beloved Mother Earth.