Resignation is so seductive. I’m not talking about the “take this job and shove it” kinda resignation, i’m talking about the slow, seeping ebb of our willingness to act on our convictions, the inertia that keeps us bound in our everyday patterns, while things slowly get worse. What’s the use?… what’s the point? we wonder…

Oh, come now! The use is we live on this world that deserves so much better than we give it. The point is we’re not being kind to those who come after.

Kindness. We often sneer at it for being saccharine. OK, I often sneer at it. And yet, kindness is a welcome respite in a tough world. When your store clerk really looks at you, you appreciate it, your day eases. His or her day eases when you take the time to appreciate, not just their work, but them.

And our precious Mother Earth — It’s time to go to work. Not just picking up trash and doing your recycling, although that’s always helpful. But find out what’s going on in your neighborhood that threatens the Earth’s well-being and start working against it. Start cleaning up your little patch of the river or forest or city. Start! or Continue! those are important words.

Our well-being and that of the generations after us depend upon our work. Who are we to leave it to the next generation? We participated in the slow slide, time to turn the tide! Yes, it’s hard work. But that just makes it all the more rewarding.