Earth day is today so it got me to thinking about all the gifts that we are given, material and otherwise. We are told as kids that we should take care of our toys, our rooms, brush out teeth, etc. It seems that we have lot’s of “things” to take care of. As we get older, what we care for changes for sure.
Getting older, I find myself not only caring for “things”, my house, my car, etc., as well as people too. At mass, the priest was talking about the Gospel of the Good Shepard and how he cares for us. How does it relate to our lives? I care for a diverse group of people, as everyone does. I am a daughter, sister, aunt, friend, coworker, and teacher. Those are all very different roles, all equally important.
My takeaway from the homily is yes, I need to care for others like the Good Shepard does and all the people I described. That does not leave me out. I should also care for myself in mind, body, and spirit. I spent a very long time giving way too much of myself to others through my job and relationships.
When I stepped away from the job and the relationships, I could see that all of my “giving” was not being “given back” to me. Those situations took away from the person that I am supposed to be. I wasn’t taking care of what God entrusted to me, namely me.
I am a wonderfully imperfect person and I should take better care of me, all of the time, not just some of the time. How do I do that? For my mind, I take walks, bake, and spend time with friends. For my body, I exercise, get around 8 hours of sleep, and watch what foods I am eating. My spirit also benefits from being in nature, but prayer, going to mass, and reading inspirational messages is where there the nourishment comes from.
So this Earth day, yes, let’s take care of the Earth, but let’s also take time to nourish the great gift God has given us, in body, mind, and spirit. I have shared my favorite ways, what are yours?
