Giving Our Whole Selves To Life
Earth Offering ∴ Melodee Solomon ∴ 2018 ∴ Mount Laguna, California
Last week, I received a text message from the mother of a very dear friend who passed away in 2022.
“You are a gift. All is gift.”
Tears filled my eyes and I began to cry as I read and re-read her message. A poignant reminder and timely reprise of my friend’s favorite C.S. Lewis quote, “All is gift.” A benediction both profound and simple that delivered me to our shared purpose as humans—to give of our whole selves to Life.
What is the nature of a gift? Why do we feel pleasure in the simple act of giving?
In Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer reminds us, “We are showered every day with gifts, but they are not meant for us to keep. Their life is in their movement, the inhale and the exhale of our shared breath. Our work and our joy is to pass along the gift and to trust that what we put out into the universe will always come back.”
This is the quiet invitation set forth by the Earth in all that she mirrors back to us. It is what calls us to unfold our bountiful offerings within the timelessness of true reciprocity. It is emblematic of the joy that fills our hearts as we engage in acts of Tikkun Olam or repairing the world. It is deeply and undeniably felt when we align our paths with the frequency of loving service. All is gift, and all gifts contain within them the echoes of Infinity, the promise of Eternity, and the clear illumination of our inherent interrelatedness with each other and with all of Life.
Giving is an essential part of our shared humanity.
If you feel inspired and are able to give today, I have an invitation for you. In honor of Giving Tuesday, I am offering a 40% discount on Artemisia Atara Apothecary goods to individuals who give in any amount before the end of the year to any of the following organizations: Indigenous Medicine Conservation Fund, United Plant Savers, Unsilenced, and WITNESS.
Indigenous Medicine Conservation Fund
The Indigenous Medicine Conservation Fund is an Indigenous-led philanthropic vehicle working to protect the cultures, medicines, and ecosystems vital for all of life. Through focusing on five keystone biocultures—medicines that are sacred to traditional ways of life and healing practices among specific Indigenous groups around the globe—the IMC Fund amplifies Indigenous voices and supports the sovereign protection and regeneration of the medicines, ecologies, and traditional knowledges Indigenous communities have honored for thousands of years. Partnering with funders globally, informed by robust ecological and community-based assessments, they build alliances with organizations on the ground, fund their efforts, and do strategic engagement with leaders of each bioculture. You can learn more about their work and mission here.
United Plant Savers
United Plant Savers works to protect native medicinal plants, fungi, and their habitats while ensuring renewable populations for future generations by focusing on the principles of reciprocity, right livelihood, and biocultural diversity. Their Species At-Risk List is an invaluable resource for herbalists and plant-enthusiasts that helps to raise awareness about the wild medicinals of North America identified as sensitive species. Initiatives like this support the ongoing flourishing of medicinal plants and fungi which are presently in decline due to factors such as shrinking habitat and the rise in popularity of wildcrafting and harvesting for both personal and—more significantly—commercial use. You can learn more about initiatives like these and other important projects set forth by United Plant Savers here.
Unsilenced
Unsilenced is a nonprofit organization that serves past, present, and future victims of institutional child abuse. One of the largest culprits of this abuse is the Troubled Teen Industry (TTI), a network of unregulated and powerful congregate care facilities that claim to reform youth struggling with mental health or educational challenges. Instead of providing therapeutic services and education to at-risk youth, many young people experience abuse, neglect, and maltreatment at these facilities. Unsilenced advocates for constructive alternatives that circumvent institutionalization and keep young people with their families and communities. I am a survivor of the TTI, have been involved with the work of Unsilenced since their inception, and recently joined their Board of Directors. You can learn more about the mission and work of Unsilenced here.
WITNESS
WITNESS is a nonprofit organization that helps activists, journalists, lawyers, and human rights defenders around the world use video and technology to protect and defend human rights. The organization equips communities to more safely and effectively use these digital tools for meaningful change, and ensures that grassroots realities are shaping a tech ecosystem that better supports this change. WITNESS works to fortify the truth and ensure that the accounts of those on the frontlines of defending human rights will be believed. I first learned of WITNESS from my sister, Alena, who is the Individual Giving Manager at the organization. Through her unwavering devotion and advocacy, I have come to learn more about the importance of video and technology in empowering frontline communities. You can learn more about WITNESS and their mission and work here.
Please email connection@laurelmadeline.earth with the subject Giving Tuesday and a screenshot of your donation to any of these organizations in any amount, and I will send you a unique code to receive 40% off any Artemisia Atara Apothecary purchase made between now and the start of the new year. Code will expire at 11:59pm on December 31st ♡
