1958, as I played hopscotch in my grandmother’s Mississippi garden, I didn’t know about global initiatives or environmental footprints. I poured milk from glass jars. I ate Mimi’s tomatoes straight off the vine. I only knew the damp, warm feel of the red dirt on my six-year-old fingers and the way sunlight filtered through the pine trees. To that scruffy little girl, the Earth was a friend who brought miracles. A blue jay grabbing a peanut. The buzz of cobalt dragonflies. Rain sweeping up from the Gulf of Mexico.

Sixty-eight years later, Earth Day holds a whole new meaning. I now understand that every magic hour is a gift, and it renews itself each morning. When I tend to my land and its wildlife on Water’s Hill, I’m taking a stand for this irreplaceable earth.

The Liturgy of the Garden

There is a unique kind of peace found in my potting shed moments. When I slow down enough to plant a seed or prune a rosebush, I’m participating in a miracle. Earth Day needs our big gestures. But each grand action begins with our small acts of stewardship.

Simple Pleasures for a Greener Soul

If you’re looking to reconnect with the Earth today while maintaining that precious inner quiet, here are a few Joy Lessons from the soil:

• Listen to the Dirt: Spend five minutes in silence outside. Don’t plan the cottage garden in your head. Just listen to the birds.

• The Art of Sowing: Plant something, even if it’s just a single herb in a kitchen window. Watching life emerge from a tiny seed is the ultimate lesson in hope.

• Bake with Gratitude: If you’re heading to the kitchen today, use seasonal ingredients. There is a special pleasure in eating spring shallots  that you planted last autumn.

A Prayer for the Ground Beneath Us

The world can seem like a beautiful mess, but we can’t blame the sky or the mountains.  Earth is our most enduring and sincere teacher. It doesn’t hurry, yet everything is accomplished. Just look at the Blue Hour—it arrives twice daily without our permission. 

Today, let’s thank the true Master Gardener of this blue planet for the clay soil, cedar trees, songbirds, wild turkeys, and the oceans. Thank Him for the resilience of the growing things.

May your hands be dirty, your heart be calm, and your Earth Day be filled with the simplest of joys.

How are you finding stillness in nature today? I’d love to hear about what’s blooming in your corner of the world. 

You can find me on Instagram @joylessons .