Reciprocity

As Robin Wall Kimmerer wrote, “Give a gift, in reciprocity for what you have taken. Sustain the ones who sustain you, and the earth will last forever.”

“Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.”

The word reciprocity keeps coming up in conversation and in my reading over the past month. What is reciprocity? According to Webster, reciprocity is “a mutual exchange of privileges.” University of Richmond explains, “Generalized reciprocity is when the giving of something is done with no expectation of immediate return.”

Since reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, I have been deeply convicted to take action in caring for the natural world around me. When it feels like the world is falling apart around us, gratitude grounds us. So each day, I ask the world how I can give back. What can I do for the bees and the dogwoods? The caterpillars that dare to cross the sidewalks. The clovers that continue to rise and reach out their taproots to repair the damaged and poor soil beneath them, despite getting mowed over or sprayed with weed killer. It’s about cultivating a better future for my nieces and nephew. Making sure the little green lizard that climbed onto my patio gets a sip of water.

Yesterday, I made seed balls to throw in the unmowed, overgrown corners of my afternoon walk. Today I planted Borage to continue the bees' nectar supply. Tomorrow I’ll listen when a friend speaks.