Reverence for Plants and Animals

You're probably thinking "What's the difference between reverence for nature and reverence for plants and animals?" Not much...but I wanted to acknowledge individual animals and plants where we have a relationship.

Consider our pets. I read an article where Bradford Keeney (author of Everyday Soul) suggested giving our pet(s) a special vacation or as he states it "commit [yourselves] to being servants of bliss to [your] pet". Would your dog like to feast on steak, walk unleashed through the forest and, then, nap on the bed? That's not going to happen. Our dogs would have serious diarrhea in this "forest" (which would be hours away). They'd run ahead, chasing some critter, and get lost. We'd spend hours searching for them. Finally, when we've found them and arrive home, exhausted, we'd have to lift the 65-pound senior dog onto the bed, hoping the diarrhea was over.

So we do what is reasonable to honor our pets. We take them on long walks where they can sniff at all the smells (or, as we call it "dog tweets") along the way. We play ball with them everyday and replenish the chew toys they like so much. When we have steak or ice cream, we save a little for them. (Actually, lately, we feed them Doggie Ice Cream when we're having ours.) Finally, we have found a very cushy dog bed and bought three to position at the places where they hang. These dogs are very, very loved. In turn, they do their best to communicate to us - telling us when they have an urgent potty request or when someone is approaching our house. Most importantly, they tell us that they trust us and like being with us. They lean against us when they're happy. They wake us with kisses. They snore when they're fast asleep.

It's been told that St. Francis would pick up snails from the roads so they would be protected from foot traffic. In the winter, he would give honey to bees so they would not die from starvation and cold. His attitude of reverence and affection is one we should all emulate.

The same reverence should be focused on the plants that provide us our food. I enjoy planting a vegetable garden (even though I'm not that successful) and fruit trees to watch how plants grow from seeds, how birds and bees are attracted to the nectar and pollinate the nearby fruit trees, how pests feed on the leaves, how birds pluck at the ripe fruit and, when the vegetables/fruits do survive all that, how they ripen and change. It makes me realize that what I eat comes from something - sometimes, very small. The whole process of eating a salad is connected with the fertility cycle of the plant world. I am in awe of what it takes to feed us and honor the plant world.