I’ve enjoyed gardening in the Chihuahua desert for many years.  Both gardening and writing help me notice the natural world around me: the hills, mountains, cactus, crows, hawks, rabbits and lizards with more attention.  I revel in our earth’s diversity, the vast array of roses and hydrangeas, brussel sprouts and carrots, long horns and giraffes, tortoises and manatees.  The wonder of our planet fills our senses, and—the human family: short and tall, fair and dark; our amazing languages and cultures—our beautiful array.  Twenty years ago in Nepantla: Essays from the Land in the Middle, I asked why we’re more interested in birds of color than people of color?  Today I ask, are we becoming wiser?

Let’s savor and protect the world around us, our shared home.  Let’s plant trees and value the diverse children who will inherit this land.

Photo credits: Desert Flowers, Frank Carey/Creative Commons
Northern Chihuahuan Desert, Graela/Creative Commons