Birds chirping
Heart swelling
Flowers blooming
Sands rolling
Time standing
Still.

As I sat amongst trembling, tenacious, fierce beauty; tiny flowers ranging from the most delicate shade of violet to bright, audacious yellow, I was reminded of what I see, I am. Everything and everyone, every situation is mirrored through me.

Once again, I was humbled by the generosity and incredible love of Mother Earth, and what She provides for me, for you, for all of Her inhabitants. As I sat, I wore Her clothes, my flesh and blood and bone, all made from Her incredible, magical recipe. Thank you Mother for my healthy body which I nourish with your garden.

Charmed. The Joshua Trees stood as guardians to the great Mojave Desert, changing in landscape as I drove. From small mountains of great boulders tossed seemingly from a giant’s hand, to the flat, shrubby, cacti strewn desert floor where the wildflowers waved their bright, cheery faces, the desert carried a wry humour. I pulled over at various Exhibit points, exited my auto, and followed the sandy trails that weaved through the incredible array of Mother’s grace. Birds flitted and chirped in the brushy areas, leading me away from their cherished little homes among the thorny branches.

As I continued to drive, the landscape changed to incredible, giant monoliths of rock, stacked and strewn together in amazing shapes and forms, all seeming to come straight up from under the surface of the desert itself from sheer force of will. My inner adventurer stirred as I parked my auto in the pullout on the side of the road. I picked my way carefully through the hardy treasures at my feet and began to climb the great rocks. My hands chaffed and tingled from the rough, chalky surface of the granite as my legs wound their way through the scattered disarray of various sizes of boulders. Way up high I climbed, slowly, ever so slowly, grateful, hopeful, and challenged by my heart to see how far I would grow today. Grow in appreciation of our magnificent Earth and my own body and mind.

I stopped part way up the mountain to adjust my route and there it was! A discarded plastic water bottle. Here. In the pristine wilderness. I couldn’t believe it! I sat there for a few minutes. How could anyone do this? Who? Why? When I come across things like this I wonder what is going on in the mind of this fellow human. I put the bottle in my backpack and carried on, winding my way slowly upwards, stopping here and there to take in the view and adjust my path. A faded Pepsi can was next. Again I am astounded. Is it you? Who does this?

Climbing as far I chose to go that moment, I sat upon a great rock and offered a prayer of gratitude. Gratitude is the key to abundance. We, the caretakers of the Earth, humans, must move forward with gratitude and sustainability first and foremost in our hearts and in our minds.

We cannot alter the past, but we can however, put all of our energy and resources in the NOW! Now is the time good people to clean up our act! No shame, no blame just a momentum of movement towards cleanliness and sustainability of natural resources.

I continued through the park, entering the lower Colorado Desert. Joshua Tree National Park contains the high Mojave Desert and the lower Colorado Desert. Landscape and vegetation differ in each region, as does the climate; the Colorado Desert being hotter and dryer. When you stop to inhale the air, focusing on the present moment, the air is charged with a mysterious beauty. You needn’t use your eyes. All senses brighten in the vast wilderness of Mother.

There are so many different types of cacti and plant life to appreciate, each plant has its own unique fragrance. The vegetation is often equipped with spiky thorns to warn off intruders into their sacred space. What they are helpless to stop however, is pollution and litter from humankind.

It is not my hope that you visit Joshua Tree. It is my hope that you appreciate your surroundings exactly where you are now. It is my hope that you stoop to pick up trash at your feet as you walk today. It is my hope that you appreciate all that you are and all that is surrounding you this moment, for beauty is everywhere and in everything! It is my hope that you begin to change your lifestyle; to consider the greater picture of your planet, your home. The world does not revolve around us. Planet Earth does not not need us. We need Mother. We are caretakers of a beautiful, holy planet. Let us celebrate this realization every single day with gratitude and an open willing heart to see how we can change our lives, ourselves, to walk in beauty with the Earth.

Wake up, wise up, and smile. Today is the day to begin to change the world in love ❤