Dear Mother Nature,

I don’t even now where to begin. The simple phrase of “I’m sorry” just doesn’t cut it. You have provided us with food, shelter, air, water, resources and most importantly, love. For centuries you have unconditionally provided for mankind and the animals we share this planet with, and you never truly ask for anything in return but care and love. You truly are the mother of the world. You support all races, religions, genders, ages and all walks of life. You love unconditionally and provide for us always. Not just the things we need to survive, but the very things that make life worth living.

We have four seasons that fill our lives with pure beauty. Summer brings us the beautifully hot sun, warm sand between our toes and cool water to swim in. Fall, which gives us trees of all different shades, the fallen leaves we push into piles and jump in as kids, warm apple cider and nights by the fire. Winter, which gives us the beautiful blanket of sparkling, white snow, the scent of pine trees in the air, hills to sled down and frozen ponds to skate on. You then tie it all together with the complete rebirth of the land in spring. Animals giving birth, flowers poking their heads, all new vibrant colors and the melodious songs of birds return.

Mother Nature, you have given us beautiful and exotic islands to travel to and explore. You have given us wide mountain ranges to follow and find new adventures on. There are deep oceans teeming with colorful fish and coral, dark caverns and unexplored portions man has yet to touch. We have rivers to follow that carry the currents down unchartered paths. You have even given us our animal companions to share this planet with. They clean our water and air, they help provide us with food, but most importantly they give us companionship and love. This is the beautiful home you have made for us, Mother Earth, and for that I am sorry.

I am sorry that many people do not see our planet this way. That many people see the wonders you have created as simply commodities to be used up, mass produced and wasted, all at the expense of making money. We build skyscrapers to block out the sun, install artificial light that blocks out the sky and stars, we no longer feel grass between our feet but we have cold concrete, certain animals are seen as not having emotions but simply being put on this earth for us to use as food and mistreat. We take all you have provided for us and use it until we can use no more. We exploit this beautiful home you have given us. And as we exploit it, we seem to wound you.

You cry in pain, but no one seems to hear it. Those who do hear you have been silenced by higher powers, those who try and mend your wounds are removed from the public. It seems we have attempted to numb ourselves from your pain, as it hurts us too much to know that we have begun the process of killing you. Only now have many people begun to realize the damage we have caused you, Mother Nature. Only now can we maybe, and I stress maybe, begin to fix the damage we have done to you. Mother Nature, I am sorry. But sorry will never be enough.