Maya, my love, I promise to be courageous. I promise that when I face a decision, I will think of how it will impact you and your future. I promise that I’ll also step outside my individual decisions and add my weight to the forces that shift culture and systems.

My goal was to help you grow into better citizens of our planet; to help you care about our natural world and to make everyday choices that reflect concern for our beautiful earth and our own health as well as encourage you to work together to make changes in our community.

I commit to you to change one thing a year in our lifestyle to live more environmentally friendly.

Since my two daughters emerged into this world, all of my tomorrows have become more dear.

Fortunately, you didn’t get injured while the wildfire burned your school.

I hope in a small way this helps your world.

Sweetie, you deserve clean air, water and soil. You deserve to thrive in an environment that supports you.

The journey of humanity does not take us to Mars like the world now likes to believe. It takes us home to our true self where there is no separate self. Where we are all one. You know all this. Look after yourself my child, look after your brother, your friends, your children, all the animals and the whole planet. Love them like there is no tomorrow.

As a minister, I have preached that we are here to be of service to others and to be care takers of this wonderful planet that God has given us.

I will keep trying Kaydence, I promise. And I hope we can look back together in 2050 and smile, knowing that our Earth is healthy once again.

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.