Today is Earth Day, and to celebrate I wanted to share a gratitude prayer or Thanksgiving Address that is part of my Greet the Day ritual. This can be read as inspiration and then adapted to be your own, simply find elements of nature from the skies to the plants to the earth itself that you are grateful for.
Today, and everyday, I am filled with gratitude.
Thank you dear Earth, for being the foundation of my life.
Thank you Earth, for your gravitational pull that keeps things grounded and stable. Thank you to the mountains that rise and erode, giving us minerals that help to build our bodies and keep us healthy. They give us their essence in the soils that grow our food. And offer us the beauty of ever changing landscapes.
Let us give thanks to the waters that flow in our rivers, crash on our beaches, and sweep through the skies as rain. These same waters fill our bodies with their vital force, erode the mountains, and nurture all living things.
Let us give thanks to the low lying plants that feed us and to all other animals too. To the trees who give us shelter and heat our homes. To all the green beings who produce the oxygen so necessary to our existence.
Let us give thanks to the animals who are our relatives. To the beings who bring mystery and friendship into our lives. Who feed us, pollinate, and keep the great web of life healthy.
Let us give thanks to the birds who sing, bringing music into our world. Who are jewels in the skies. And who also feed us.
Let us give thanks to the winds that blow from the four directions. To the winds that carry the rain to inland areas. The winds that blow, cleansing the air and sending clouds dancing. And to the atmosphere that blankets and protects us.
Let us give thanks to the moon whose rhythms influence the waters even within our bodies. For your beautiful light in the darkness.
Let us give thanks to the sun who gives us life and supplies all living creatures with energy.
Let us give thanks to the stars whose beauty fills our hearts and whose immensity reminds us to be humble.
Let us give thanks to the ancestors who came before us and to the wellbeing of all future generations.
Today, and every day, let us be thankful for the Earth and all of us who call her home.
~Lexie
About the Author
Lexie Bakewell is a lifelong naturalist, artist, and retired homeschool teacher. She is the co-author of Coyote's Pocket Guide and Curious Coyote and is the in-house nature education and homeschooling expert at ZieBee Media.
