“It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature!” Many of you remember the 70’s circa television commercial about Chiffon Margarine. Even if you don’t remember the commercial, you have likely heard the line. It’s classic, funny, catching! Another 70’s iconic commercial was by Euell Gibbons, the spokesperson for Grapenuts cereal. He was a naturalist bent on highlighting the wonders of Nature. His famous line about Grapenuts is that it “reminds me of wild hickory nuts.” The somewhat disconnected connection between these two seemingly unrelated commercials is that they point to the diverse nature of Nature! They point to both the fury and wonder of Nature. As much as they might make us laugh, perhaps there are lessons to be learned from them
The Lakota Code of Ethics refers to Nature as well. In the quote that is part of the Code, they say that “Nature is not FOR us, it is a PART of us. All of nature is part of our worldly family.”
All too often, human beings see Nature as a Bounty to be exploited, leveraged or depleted. We use and take at will. As much as conservation groups fight to preserve and nurture this Bounty, the vast majority of the inhabitants of this planet fail to see the interconnected relationship between Nature and Humanity. They fail to pay attention to the messages of collaboration delivered by Mother Nature. Mother Nature reminds us that:
- Serenity blooms in the shade of Her clouds.
- Wonder spreads its wings in the warmth Her sunrise.
- Safety resides in the depth of Her caves.
- Power flows through Her streams, rivers and oceans.
- Direction proceeds from Her multi-directional winds.
- Connection with the Creator circulates through Her lightning.
- Humility explodes in the midst of Her storms.
- Love grows in the presence of Her gentleness.
The Lakota know that Nature is not FOR us, it is a PART of us. All of nature is part of our worldly family. Perhaps it is time for the rest of us to know this truth as well.
Peace!
Mark E. Hundley
