As a new year begins, I am drawn to live in closer reciprocity with the earth. Reciprocity, I’ve come to understand, is about more than giving and taking. It is about being in relationship with the land and honoring the earth’s generosity by caring for it in return. The health of the land and our own well-being are deeply intertwined and to see the health of the soil, water, and air, not as commodities but as gifts that weave all existence into the intricate web of life.
To cultivate reciprocity is to see ourselves as part of a larger whole. To plant seeds not just for our own needs but for the countless beings who share this place. To see the fruits we grow like gifts and also as offerings to the pollinators who enjoy their sweet nectar in spring and the migrating birds who rely on them in fall. This exchange is not charity; it is kinship, a reminder that abundance is meant to be shared.
To live in this way is to reawaken something innate inside us all, a knowing that runs as deep as the roots of trees, connecting us to every animal, stone, and blade of grass. It is to rewild ourselves and remember that the land, in its quiet wisdom, holds the answers if only we have the humility to receive them.
