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“Yes, there is hope for future generations.”

This was what I thought and felt as my mom told me the following Earth Day story:

She had agreed to pick up my niece from pre-K and take her to a local park so I wouldn’t be interrupted during a few meetings I had scheduled. Being a prepared grandma, she brought juice and snacks with her.

When my niece comes by the house to visit after school, she usually gets a cookie or a chocolate. Then she picks from a couple of non-sugary snack options. Therefore—if we’re using five-year-old logic—being around grandma after school means there should be a cookie.

And grandma’s prepared snack stash did include one cookie, housed in a little, plastic storage baggie.

My niece took the cookie out of the baggie with a satisfied, this-is-the-way grin on her face. Then she handed the baggie back saying, “Grandma, take this back and save it to reuse later.”

There it was: hope.

There are children being raised with appreciation for and consideration of Earth. They’re learning to shop at resale stores for reusable items whenever possible. They’re being raised to value the importance of reusing and recycling items. They understand the importance of having a garden and chickens to grow what you eat.

How do you see this hope showing up in your life? Is it the child learning to plant their own vegetables? Is it the teenager learning to become autonomous and responsible? Is it the middle-aged person learning to work the latest technology?

Tell me, where do you see hope for the future?

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