Earth Egg

Glinda writes:

My skills as an artist have taken me on many adventures. At Easter in the mid 1990s, I found myself painting eggs (the blown out kind, of course). This one was painted for my daughter Melanie. It seemed a perfect gift. The egg represented life, vitality, yet fragility. Through this visual image of the Earth, I, as her parent, was symbolically "giving the Earth" to my daughter. The Earth was something that had been handed down to me. My intention was to care for this Source of Our Being in a way that my daughter would be provided for also. Wasn't that indeed part of my purpose in being here?

Melanie took the Earth Egg to her apartment where she proudly displayed it. However, her newly acquired kitten found it to be quite the toy and broke it. So I painted another one. Of course, if we break the one that we are on now, we do not get another one. Melanie gave the Earth Egg back to me, entrusting me to care for it. I placed it in this lovely handwoven basket.

From 1996-2005, I taught a course called "Living Lightly on the Earth" at the University of North Dakota. For most of these classes and a few other presentations besides, I would pass around the Earth Egg to my students. I would tell them its story. Further, I would suggest to them that we each touch this Earth with our intentions, our footsteps and our actions. We can sense its vibrancy. But we also need to respect its fragility. For any of us in the circle who would choose to damage this Earth, we shall affect all of the others in the circle and perhaps even to the future of time.

We recently moved a long distance. I packed the Earth Egg very carefully and it seemed to survive the trip well. This Egg has touched many hands. Hundreds have held it and passed it carefully without breaking it. You can see where some of the paint is a bit worn. The inscription "To Melanie from Ma" is not quite as visible as before.

I no longer teach the class. But I am passing this image as meditation to the circle which extends beyond. What does this mean to you, Dear Reader? Where do you sit with meaning of these things?