“Sometimes when you pick up your child you can feel the map of your own bones beneath your hands, or smell the scent of your skin in the nape of his neck. This is the most extraordinary thing about motherhood – finding a piece of yourself separate and apart that all the same you could not live without.” -C Joybell C.
I would like to make a tribute to all mothers that see the value of mindfulness, and specifically the gracious ways mothers connect their children with Mother Earth. C Joybell C beautifully illustrates the connection from a mother to her child. But what about the larger mom, Mother Nature? Here are some things mothers shared regarding magical moments they’ve had connecting their children to the planet:
1. The joy in seeing my child have a genuine curiosity for a leaf or flower allows me to see what moves them.
2. When my child lies in the grass and feels Mother Earth below him. I see that he feels comfort in this connection.
3. The great thing about nature is that you don’t have to encourage your children to like it, you just allow them to be in it and they feel the effects.
4. We live close to the earth with gardening, and being aware of the seasons and changes of the Earth’s cycles.
5. We talk about the world in a very honest and clear way and talk about how our actions as humans effect the earth.
6. “I am a big believer in connecting children to our great Mother. We do this through weekly hikes (the forrest is our church), and ceremonies like our New Year’s Offering: we make little boats and fill them with fresh flowers and wishes for the new year. We set the boats and wishes out at sunset to sail into the golden light.” -Jamie Mamikunian
7. I let my children play outside, which lets them entertain themselves and figure things out for themselves.
8. My kids and I live in a city, but when we go to a park I ask them to tell me what they like about the park. This helps them to appreciate nature.
9. I try to regularly take my kids on a walk through a park. We play a game of who can spot the most critters, and it lets them stay focused on the living nature around us.
10. Camping, camping, camping. It lets my kids learn how to be away from “the screen”.
Creating a Culture of Appreciation
Children have a pure and refreshing perspective, and we salute all the ways that mom’s avail the opportunity to connect children to Mother Earth. Whether small or big, these opportunities are all appreciated and help create a culture where nature is valued and sacred.