Thank You!

A heartfelt thanks to all the "green"moms who have responded to my call for stories in just the first week. I am thrilled that there are so many of us out there and would like to share just a couple of the responses I have received so far in the upcoming weeks. Have a story? Send it my way! Here are two great moms and a grandmom sharing some wisdom and inspiration:

Basically the thing that I am feeling lately is this rising feeling of panic and fear for the generation of babies and young children that are here right now. they are so sick! I feel like its not about the future-its about right now-we are killing these little guys. This is the first generation that will have a shorter lifespan then their parents- and everyday I am seeing why. They have 300 times more asthma, and are more likely to die from it than ever before, they are amidst an autism epidemic that we are only just beginning to understand the full impact of, they are medicated for depression, OCD, ADHD, ODD, they are allergic, covered with eczema, obese, have heart disease and diabetes (the former disease of middle age are now common for even preteens). and we are getting to a point where this is just thought of as "normal". Much like we accepted older people having a laundry list of pills everday in former generations-we now think that a healthy child is one that is maintained OK on daily doses of 3-7 medications. This is not health! It is sickness! Parents with children who are suffering know that. Their lives are scarey, frustrating and exhausting, everyday. But do they know that most of their kid's friends are sick too? I am worried that the environmental movement often speaks in terms of "the Earth we will leave our children"... and so forth, primarily in the future tense. When all around us, the evidence is there that our children are not surviving the world they have now. Mamas- The time is RIGHT NOW to save our precious babies from lives barely lived, pain and suffering that never should have been. ~Dr. Gruber-Cooley, Forest Family Medicine, West Hartford, CT


I have 4 grown children and 9 grandbabies with 1 due in July. I was not aware of "green " when the kids were growing up except not to throw trash out the car window. If you did we stopped the car and you went back and you had to pick it up (the ultimate embarassement). Just small things. But now my children recycle (and of course I do too). What I am really proud of is my daughter who is involved in my business with her children who help cut, stack and trim as part of their home school training. It is teaching them to sew and training them in business, but more importantantly they are involved in helping to save the planet from plastic and paper bags. Every day they recycle cans and bottles from our trash and on Saturdays we go to the recycle center and they take the loads to each bin. All three help with our organic garden and go around singing a cute little ditty "Recycle Recycle what you gonna do with all that trash?" ~ Cordie, owner of www.buymygreenbag.com

Dear Imani,

I love, love, love what you wrote here! It all resonates with me!! Last year, in February, I said the most sincere prayer of mylife: “God, if I am doing what I am meant to do (raising small children, freelanceediting), thank you. I am very grateful for all the blessings in my life. However, if there is more for me, and there is something else that you want me to do, I am open to it and I am listening.”

Since then, I have listened, gone with the flow which has lead me to:Starting a business www.zolagoods.com which empowers women by educating them about the changes they can make to help the environment and also gives them the opportunity to spread the message. This is a new business model that values community, & transparency, rather than hierarchies cloaked in mystery and solely driven by profit. Being part of three spiritual communities which have been very fulfilling - one is Unity (very similar teachings to Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth) and the CUUPS at the Unitarian Church which is an Earth centered practice with a very trusting close circle of people who honor the earth/divine femine, etc..

I have also gotten back into yoga and am doing mediation. All of these things help to balance, center and ground me as I follow my higher purpose, which I believe is to help heal our planet. I am also available and present for my two small children and husband and I know that when they get older they will be proud that I tried to do something to help people learn to be better stewards of the earth. Good luck! It sounds like a fascinating book! Thank you! Beth, visionary behind www.zolagoods.com (GREAT site!)