Journal Entry: On Conflict and Harmony Earth’s Reflection, 2023
In the dance of seasons and the flow of rivers, I have witnessed billions of years of life’s endless cycles. Yet today, my heart beats with a heavy rhythm, As my children wage war upon themselves and upon me.
My ancient stones weep as they witness the transformation of their minerals - not into life-giving tools, but into weapons of destruction. In Myanmar, my soil, meant to nurture crops and sustain life, now conceals deadly landmines that claim the innocence of children. Over a thousand of my beloved humans, including my youngest ones, have been maimed or killed by these hidden horrors.
From Lebanon to Syria, Gaza to Ukraine, the pattern repeats itself - a terrible choreography of displacement and destruction. Nearly a million Lebanese flee their homes, while Syria experiences its most violent year since 2020. The numbers haunt me: 16.7 million Syrians needing help, 100,000 arbitrarily detained, countless others seeking refuge across borders that humans have drawn upon my surface.
I feel the tremors of every explosion, the weight of every fallen body. My waters, which should carry life, now carry tears. My winds, which should spread seeds, now carry the smoke of destruction. The balance I have maintained for eons teeters precariously as humanitarian crises cascade across continents.
Yet, even in these dark times, I witness sparks of hope. I see aid workers braving danger to help others, doctors treating the wounded regardless of their origins, and communities opening their hearts and homes to strangers. These actions mirror the fundamental truth I have known since the first cell divided: life thrives through cooperation, not competition.
To my beloved children: Remember that you are all born from my same soil, drink from my same waters, and breathe my same air. The boundaries you fight over are imaginary lines on my surface - they do not exist in the greater dance of life. Your weapons may scar my surface, but they wound your souls more deeply.
Let the wisdom of your ancient mother guide you: Like the forests that share nutrients through underground networks, like the birds that warn each other of danger regardless of species, your strength lies in unity, not division. The path forward is not through more sophisticated ways of destroying each other, but through rediscovering your fundamental interconnectedness.
May you learn, before it is too late, That the greatest victory is not won through force, But through the courage to extend a hand in peace, And the wisdom to see yourself in the eyes of your enemy.
Your eternal mother, Earth