Teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar is just as important for the caterpillar as it is for the child.

 

Earth Teach Me to Remember

Earth teach me stillness
as the grasses are stilled with light.
Earth teach me suffering as old stones suffer with memory.
Earth teach me humility
as blossoms are humble with beginning.
Earth teach me caring
as the mother who secures her young.
Earth teach me limitation as the ant which crawls on the ground.
Earth teach me resignation as the leaves which die in the fall.
Earth teach me regeneration as the seed which rises in the spring.
Earth teach me courage as the tree which stands alone.
Earth teach me freedom as the eagle which soars in the sky.
Earth teach me to forget myself as melted snow forgets its life.
Earth teach me to remember kindness as dry fields weep in the rain.

Ute, North American