READY FOR SUMMER

This photo conjures up every summer I spent in the Chain of Lakes in Wisconsin. A relief from the unbearable heat of the Illinois prairies, quiet days on the water fishing, "black cows" (for the uninitiated, root beer floats) at night listening to the owls. My lifelong love has been lakes--the smell of them, the romantic breaking of the waves under the dock--all coming at a time when my hormones were waking up and life at home was not quite so beautiful. The two or three weeks we spent there were heaven on earth. My first love courted me by the lake, and he'll be remembered as the smell of fresh water and green corn carried on the breeze to Lake Springfield.

I put this photo in the new book I'm writing for middle grade readers about the earth and her beauties and where we have gone wrong and need to clean up after ourselves. I remembered how fresh the air smelled, how the water tasted when you dove into it from a row boat or canoe. Working for Breaking Ground Contracting and writing books for the educational division is a gift for me--a chance to make a difference and also a chance to remember the beauties of being a child instead of the pains.

With all that is going on in the world--the fear of nuclear meltdowns; wars in several countries; economic disaster due to greed and avarice--the bright spots are the many people, young and old, moving forward to clean up our waters and hills and valleys and those in the Mid-east who are struggling for freedom. If all of us spent two minutes a day just sending love and energy to the planet and our brothers and sisters who live on her, the results would amaze us. I recommend that you check out the Global Coherence Initiative (www.Ghcoherence.org) where people go every day to join others virtually to send heart energy to the planet. It sure can't hurt:) Love and blessings to all who mother as we approach Mother's Day, and that doesn't mean only those of us who bear children. Sometimes the most mothering people on earth have no children of their own.