Tonight at bedtime, you asked, seemingly out of nowhere, “why are the glaciers disappearing?”

Sent on
January 1, 2019
by
Alison Anderson
Send Your Own Message

Dear Daughter,

Starting at age 2, you loved Montana. It’s your favorite state. This doesn’t make much sense. We live in Tennessee. We’d never been to Montana. But, as soon as you got your first puzzle of the United States, it was all Montana, all the time. We ordered books and tourism guides and your interest in Montana became part of the background of our lives.

In 2018, when you were 5 ½, we took a family trip there for 2 weeks, largely to spend time in Glacier Mountain National Park. You were elated. Of course, we knew what was happening to the glaciers. They were disappearing. It would have been impossible to keep it from you, given the ranger talks and signage, and we wouldn’t have tried.

Back home in TN, we’ve been to climate marches and to senators’ offices to argue for clean air and clean water. You understand the Earth is warming.

It’s been 5 months since we hiked up close to your favorite, Salamander Glacier. Tonight at bedtime, you asked, seemingly out of nowhere, “why are the glaciers disappearing?” And then, “when the glaciers in Montana are gone, where will there be glaciers left?”

Oh, how I want to tell you it will all be okay. Not to worry about it. But, the truth is, I can’t bring myself to say it. I don’t know if it will be okay. I don’t know what your life, or your potential kids’ lives will look like due to climate change. For now, I state the facts, and I hope for good political sense and good technology to save us all.

Share on:
 
Send Your Own Message

More Messages to the Future

 

Dear Alyssa,

I pray that more and more fathers will realize that to love their children well, they have to love and respect the ecological systems around them too.
 

Dear future generations,

I pledge to you now that I will work tirelessly and with all my willpower so you don’t have to live in a world where you have to worry about the next storm.

 

Dear Future Self,

I hope you got your dream job of using your business degree to reduce co2 emissions and promote sustainable energy.
 

Dear Tomorrow,

I promise to use my reusable water bottle more often
 

To my grandchildren,

Ahora vivo en la ciudad de México y cuando debe de llover no llueve… cuando hace calor de verdad hace calor.
 

To My Friends, Family and Future Grandchildren,

I realize my reflection of the past, current and future state of the environment paints a grim and pessimistic picture, but I feel optimistic in our ability to turn planet Earth’s fate around if we all work together and commit to making a change.
 

Querido amanhã,

Em fim, espero que você receba essa mensagem, e entenda o quão pequenos nos somos e como é importante preservar o planeta terra.
 

I love you Earth.
 

Dear Lila

So today, my strong and spunky girl, I promise you this: I will stay vigilant and flexible. I will spread the word.
 

Dear Tomorrow,

I will opt up to deep green
 

Olá minha querida filha Julia,

Muita Coragem e força para você enfrentar todos os desafios que virão, pois são com eles que crescemos.
 

Dear Kai and Leah,

I want you to feel awestruck like I do. It is important to feel small sometimes, to feel the weight of reality, to recognize the scale of a challenge, to see where you fit and what you are up against. This is the case with climate change.
View All Messages

Send Your Own Message