Why This Earth Day Was Hard to Celebrate

If you know me personally or have been reading my blogs for a while, you are probably pretty aware of my passion for the environment and sustainability. (And if that interests you too, check out these posts)! I had the intention of sharing some tips on how to incorporate sustainability into your everyday life, as well as share some projects I’ve been working on… However, that obviously didn’t happen! In addition to being kinda busy, I just didn’t have it in me. Here’s why this Earth Day was hard to celebrate.
If you’re here in the US, you are more than likely painfully aware of the division that has been increasing in this country, as well as how the calming of the pandemic seems to have inadvertently caused an increase in both violence and police brutality – or at least the reporting of it.

This month, there were many mass shootings that were hate-related. I mean – I guess all mass killings are rooted in hate, but what I specifically mean is from a racial standpoint. At the beginning of April was the Atlanta spa killings and attention given to the violence that had been increasing over the past year (since the introduction of COVID-19 to the US) toward Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

On a positive note (because I always need to find that), a community I’m part of did an initiative where Beekman 1802 sent makeup wipes to its members, and asked us to post on social media and tag them and use their hashtag, and for every share, they would donate $20 to the Stop AAPI Hate Foundation. Here’s what I came up with, that felt really good to be part of:

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A post shared by Mandie Brice (@mandiebrice)

So, if you’re an instagram user and feel up to it, please share it and tag @Beekman1802, @ThePowderGroup, and use the hashtag #wipeouthate to donate someone else’s money by barely doing anything!

That was a bright spot of “earth month” for me.

Shortly after feeling a little better from participating in that, it seemed like violence and hate ramped up even further, both across the country, and across social media, with people arguing over the Derek Chauvin trial and the heartbreaking killing of Ma’Khia Bryant. That evening, I wrote this:

As a mom-to-be, it feels especially painful to bring a child into a world where so many people seem so full of hate. I let those types of thoughts take over, and by the time Earth Day rolled around, I just didn’t have much in me to celebrate. I am sure that anxiety, depression, and the mood swings of pregnancy didn’t help!

I also then had a bit of a health scare (which is a little more dramatic than what I actually mean, but a more reasonable term escapes me), and all of it together just made me want to nap and cuddle with my dog (so that’s exactly what I did)… Especially since it had only been a few days since I felt better from the side effects from my COVID-19 Vaccine!

So, since I am definitely one who believes that every day is a good day to celebrate Earth Day, I still have a couple of posts coming your way to share some new sustainability ideas, but here is a link again to the old posts, to hold you over while I take the time to write them!

I am feeling better now, but always welcome pics of cute animals or funny memes!

xoxo,

Mandie