You won’t find me grousing about yet another made-up holiday. I happen to love some of those marketing inventions: Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day–and coming right up, Father’s Day. They give us a chance to honor important people in our lives–and express our gratitude.
My father is the parent who led me to fall in love with the natural world–in my own backyard. My parents couldn’t have been more different: my mother wouldn’t dream of intentionally getting her hands dirty; my father was never happier than when he was puttering around outside, digging holes for plants, digging paths that would lead to adventure, digging holes to China. Just enjoying nature, as he put it.
I never saw my dad pitch a tent. But I did see him lie down in the grass, stretch out his arms and legs, heave a great sigh, and let his body relax onto the ground. Better yet, one night he took my small, trusting hand in his, and, stepping outside into a cool night, he taught me not to be afraid of the dark, but rather to be dazzled by the stars. And he taught me their names.
So much of my energy for protecting this marvelous planet comes straight from my father’s example. It was an example set with love — and living and working with a heart full of love is probably the most important thing I learned from my dad.
We at Moms Clean Air Force are blessed to be working alongside many wonderful dads — as well as grandparents, sisters, uncles and aunts, and just plain old friends. So in honor of this holiday, I want to pause and to thank the thousands of Dads who have joined our cause. And I want to wish everyone a Happy Father’s Day — whether you are one, or have one, or want someday to be one. As our hearts fill at the thought of how lucky we are to be here, let’s teach our own children how important it is do everything we can to protect our home, our Earth.
PLEASE SEND ALL THE DADS IN YOUR LIFE A MOMS CLEAN AIR FORCE ECARD!