Although “thankful” wasn’t a word found on the “I am… “ project list, it seems only right to include it.
Why?
Because I am a heterotroph.
Heterotrophs are organisms that eat other organisms (plants or animals) for energy and nutrients. From the Greek words hetero for “other” and trophe for “nourishment.” Beyond that, everything I use also came from somewhere else, often something else that was once alive.
Thus, in no particular order, I am thankful:
1. For the trees that give me paper, were used to build my house, and the furniture
2. For sand, that made the glass I keep my herbs in and the windows that let me look out at the cold winter without letting that cold in.
3. For the plants that gave their lives so that I may eat, and have clothing
4. For the plants that gave their offspring (nuts and fruits) so that I may eat
5. For the chickens who do the same in the form of eggs
6. For the animals who gave their lives so that I may eat
7. For the plants that are also the medicines that I use.
8. For the sheep that gave their wool so that I could have warm clothing in these Alberta winters
9. I am thankful for the trees, plants, and animals that gave their lives so that books were possible (including leather bound volumes, some tanned using trees, with pages made from linen or parchment) that gave their lives so that the knowledge of both living and dead could be there to continue teaching future generations
10. For teachers alive and who’ve passed on who continue to share knowledge and acquire new knowledge
11. For the trees and plants that make the air I breathe and sequester the carbon environmentalists are so concerned about
12. For the living organisms that live and die in my compost heap so that my garden can grow, and soil can be renewed
13. For the mycelia and other organisms in the soil that exchange nutrients and minerals in exchange for sugars made by the plants who turn water and sunlight into sugars and starches
14. For mycelium that can be used to make environmentally friendly insulation and packaging
15. For earth worms and compost worms whose digestive systems are miracles that can detoxify many things and contribute to healthy soil
16. For mushrooms that can treat cancer, detoxify soils, feed us
17. For my parents who taught me to be an independent thinker
18. For my children who have become people whose knowledge and opinions I respect
19. For water that brings life to my garden, water for me to drink, and when I lived in BC, electricity
20. For the sun that allows my body to make vitamin D, provides electricity, and can be used by plants to make food and air to breath
21. For computers, cameras, and the internet, that made it possible to still have Kung Fu classes during COVID
22. For I Ho Chuan and the ability to work and be surrounded by other people who are also working towards mastery and self mastery
23. For having the capacity to even think about this and create this list
24. For a body that functions as well as it does when many people my age are not so lucky
25. For my friends and family who accept me, support me, and love me despite my flaws
26. For the thirst for knowledge that I’ve always had
27. For the forests that nurtured me even though I grew up in the city
28. For the animals whose fur makes my artist paint brushes
29. For the minerals, plants, and animals that are used to make the pigments and dyes for art and clothing
30. For the artists, artisans, and designers that make nearly all the objects in our lives possible
31. For science, and its constant questions and search for answers
32. For synergy, and how frequently it occurs to make something more than the sum of its parts (and baffle scientists)
33. For my religion/faith that taught me not to be afraid but to welcome people from other cultures and faiths, and introduced me to so many of them
34. For my mother who gave so much of herself and whose death was a catalyst for coalition of much of this knowledge and thought process that I am relating in this list
35. For the capacity to recognize and learn all of this
36. For making soap, baking, preserving, and herbal medicine all teaching me to finally appreciate chemistry
37. For the land that we were able to buy, and learn more from
38. For the beavers on that land that are teaching me about water conservation, water filtration, fire prevention, and building
39. For the predators and carrion eaters who clean up the dead from roadsides and in the forests and fields (this world would probably look very different if it weren’t for them)
40. For the chickens who break pest cycles in my garden and provide nutrition to the soil while they do it
41. …
I could go on, but this list is already long, and by now you get the idea.
I am thankful!
Comments