Thank you — Thank you — without you, I would not hear butterflies singing, without you, I would not understand black bear humor, or the creativity of jays planning their breakfast, without you, I would not feel flora whispers of long-lived wisdom on the back of my neck while sitting in Padmasana.

But being truthful, I know we are not yet on the path that will lead to the change that is needed; but it is visible.

I’m voting with climate change as a top priority. I’ve tried to teach you boys that we need to clean up after ourselves and take care of the earth. I promise to continue doing these actions and more, for your sake.

In writing to you, I realize that I don’t want you to be hard on yourself if you choose to not make this your cause. But it is mine, so I hope that you hold me accountable to some of what I wrote here.

I promise to do my part. I promise to be the change I want to see in the world, and I hope that you, reader, will do the same.

There is a place on this planet called the Amazon, and I don’t mean the online shopping site (is that still a thing in your time?).

So it’s 2050. If the good people are winning the greater struggle, fossil fuels are a shamefully long chapter of the past, and there has been a full scale awakening to the need for only renewable, clean energy.

Anytime I’m at the crossroads of life, I pray that I, or anyone else in the same position, will keep you in mind, and try to shape a world that’s the best possible for you.

I want you to hear the whispers of the seasons changing. The rustling of leaves as they gracefully cascade down from their limbs in the fall, birds singing in spring, and frogs that serenade the summer night.

My promise is to continue to dedicate my life, my business, and my future to creating cultures that embrace environmental action not only for our own good, but the good of the countless other species hurting from climate change.