Earth Day 2010.

The pathway to bliss…my butterfly garden in Jupiter, Florida. Come hurricane-force wind, come monsoon rain, come killing dry weather…through it all, the garden has survived.

I feel such joy and peace among flowers, butterflies, birds, dragonflies and yes, even the lizards and other reptiles that live in the crevices.

Amid crisis and grief, the healing power of the natural world refreshes my soul and cheers my heart. No gathering of humans or words on a page can compare to a magical moment watching caterpillars eat every leaf off of a milkweed plant. But don’t worry. The plant returns to be eaten again and again and again.

Mother Earth takes care of her own, including you and me. I am reminded of this every morning I wake to a sun-kissed swath of green punctuated with red Tropical Sage, flying Zebra Butterflies and purply-blue Phillipine violets.

Why is it so hard for people to understand that our habits may be harmful to the air, the water and the soil? I doubt Mother Earth will be destroyed, but humanity? I hope not.

And so, a passionate Happy Earth Day to us, and many, many more.