A Story of Love, Nature, and Silent Climate Care

Last time, I shared how self-care connects with care for the Earth.

Today, I want to go deeper back to my childhood, where my first bond with nature was born.

I still remember the narrow walkway behind our house, where my grandmother kept her little garden. To others, it was just a corner with a few plants! but to her, it was sacred. And to me, it was the place where I unknowingly began to love and respect the Earth.

As a child, I didn’t understand why she got so upset when we ran around near her plants. She’d scold us, saying, “You’ll damage my plants!" We thought she was being strict, but now I know it was care. Real care. The kind that protects, nurtures, and refuses to let anything beautiful be destroyed.

She used to water them herself, talk to them, and even cover them during storms. For her, plants weren’t decoration they were life. She used to say, “Even they feel pain".

She’s no longer with us, and her absence feels heavier in that little garden. My mother tries her best to take care of the plants now, but something feels missing. The plants miss her too. The care, the connection it’s not the same.

Now, as I watch climate change affect our world, I think of her. I think of how much she loved the Earth in her own quiet way. And I realize that caring for our planet doesn’t always start with activism or big speeches. Sometimes, it starts with a woman in a small garden, fiercely protecting a single plant.

Today, I plant trees not just for the Earth, but for herfor the love she passed down without knowing it.

This is my Earth story. One garden. One woman. One legacy.