ecologyofcaringblog.com

The concept of creating a culture of caring is BIG.  It’s big because it’s an intrinsic part of who we are - as an individual, a family, a community, a nation, a world.  We can look at the nature of care as an individual.  Do we care enough about ourselves to do the things we know can improve our own lives?  Do we recognize the importance of caring for ourself so that we have the energy and well-being to reach beyond our own little world and care for others?  How does that play out in the world?  I love the commercial for an insurance company that shows someone doing something to help another person.  A bystander notices the caring act and intentionally decides to repeat it by doing something for someone they see could use some help, and on and on it goes.  You sense that in this string of simple events the world becomes a kinder, more caring place to be.

I believe that this nature of caring rests within us.  We intrinsically follow nature’s innate sense of caring for other living and non-living things (biophilia).  As we grow, this trusting nature experiences setbacks - times when someone hurts our feelings, betrays us, hurts us, frightens us, doesn’t respond with the same measure of care.  We hear messages about being careful about trusting others, it’s not our responsibility, we’re not worthy of care, no one likes us, we’re too fat, we’re not smart enough, that’s only for rich people, and on and on.  For a time, as a child, we don’t heed those messages.  We talk and smile at everyone.  We do silly things and everyone laughs.  We let people know what works for us and what doesn’t - sometimes very loudly. We are curious about every plant. animal and person that comes into our world.  We pet things because we want to know not only what it looks like but how it feels.  We try to eat it, again because we want to know how it smells and tastes - we assume everything smells and tastes good.  We sense joy and possibility in everything we see.  We love and care about everything - we want to know more.  It’s a part of our nature.  And it stays a part of our nature until others tell us otherwise.

What’s the message we send to our children and grandchildren each day?  How do we exhibit our nature of caring in the ways we care for ourself, each other, our community, and our planet?  The people who will live with the impact of the nature of our caring are not even born yet.  They can’t rise up in protest to the world they are inheriting.  But we still have time to rise up in protest of the world we’re leaving for them.  We can dig deep and analyze our nature of caring, go back to our roots, look to nature, conjure up memories, and learn from children.  We have the opportunity to shape the nature of care in a new way…if we choose.