There's a storm forming outside, grey skies, and warm, strong wind. The mountains look silent. They know better than me what is ahead of us as we walk through the last week of the year. As I face them through the coffee shop window, I wonder how great their wisdom is and how little is mine. Their exposed rocks, like bare skin, translate their vulnerability and strength—such a dynamic environment. It's a mistake to think the mountains are constant and steady. They look like that from far aside, but as you interact and have a relationship with them, you notice nothing remains the same. It's wild out there, just like life, like us. As we grow through modern life, creating invisible empires that can be uploaded and kept safe in the cloud, I wonder if we have a backup of our true nature - the one that sees its reflection in the wilderness. I feel small and powerless as I write these words. It doesn't matter if we cannot see the hidden connections because our busy lives and minds blur our vision. Although our hearts are filled with the angst of walking alone on Earth, this is not true. Earth is sustaining our steps as we live our unique experiences, lessons, happiness, and sorrows. Our little, insignificant actions are not that small. We belong to many intricate systems and directly impact their functioning. Why is this important? Because it is about time for us to start to care. Genuinely care about ourselves, our loved ones, our homes, our surroundings, and our planet. It's about time to begin to care about life. And to care about something means you have to spend time with it, have a relationship, listen to it, observe, receive, and nurture it. To care requires the presence of mind and heart. When we care about something, we can go beyond the norm, the conditioning, and the social pressure and see reality more clearly. It's a paradigm shift from "what can I get/take from this?" to "What can I give/do?". In 2023, I wish we care more about life and have the courage of someone who understands how precious life is. I wish we return to our nature and let our hearts be filled with belonging.
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