I wish I had a crystal ball and could peep into it to see you all happy and safe in a world that nourishes you and that is also nourished by you, a world where the resources it provides are as valued as the people in it and not frittered away by greed and power.

It seems silly to saddle yourself with guilt for something that hasn’t happened yet. I don’t want to do that. As of today, I don’t really feel guilty. I guess I just want to make sure I keep doing more, so that when you read this, and ask what I’ve done since then, I can still feel good about my efforts.

My mistake was thinking I needed to give you more to be a good Mom. Recently your aunt asked me what my favorite toy was growing up. I gulped, I didn’t have one- it was the outdoors, sliding down a ravine of leaves with my Dad, skiing and camping. Today is October 12th, 2021 and I am still going to be giving you a lot, it’s going to look a little different – love, experiences, education and a healthy planet.

We had a lot in common obviously, and our concern for the planet we live on was one of the many things we bonded over.

I am scared of the things happening right now with our planet.

The first step would be in overcoming ourselves. Because whether we end up fading into obscurity, or thriving in prosperity, we will overcome ourselves.

Fighting for a system that rewards care for people and planet over profit.

If there’s one thing young people have learned while quarantining, it’s that Gen Z holds so much power and is capable of a lot more than we think. We’ve created a community that has united us all and started to bring about change for the good of our futures. Now, with the help of Gen Z (and of course, people of all ages), we have the power to save our home, the Earth.

Our future is being made now, and I promise to do everything in my power to make yours safe.

We thought that the world was an endless supply of whatever we wanted… I know it sounds hard to believe, but that is the way it was.

I tried.