Doing Great Things, Like Saving Land. Forever

The career I've chosen is all wrapped up in a hard to comprehend time line.
I work and work and work to save land from development. Forever.

But forever is so far away. So far.

I spend most of my days wondering how to make people understand that forever is a really long time. And in order to protect land (forever) we need money that will last that long.

Instead of becoming a doctor. I became a tree hugger.

Instead of becoming a chef. I decided I wanted to grapple with "forever" day in and day out.

How long is forever?

I'm starting to realize that it is Really long.

Saving land is a noble act. Those who donate their land are such selfless individuals I can't even imagine! Can't even wrap my head around it! So visionary!

Imagine: Loving land so much, that you just want to save it, in its natural state, so that all who pass by and trample the grass with excitement - have the OPPORTUNITY to love it as you do.

I get nervous some times when I see the dumpsters in driveways, houses being re-built to three times their size. I get nervous that the highways are getting wider and more and more beautiful natural areas are shrinking.

I get nervous that my children won't look out their car window in 10 years and see wooded landscapes or vistas of rolling fields and second growth forests. I get nervous that all they will see are impervious surfaces like driveways, and rooftops, roads and buildings.

But then, I remember why I stay up so late working on lists and letters and trying to raise money (despite this desperate economy).

Doing great things, like saving land. Forever.

I work so that my children will have future days speckled with green meadows, majestic pines, soaring hawks, and trickling streams.

Dec & Nonie will know these things because today at work, I did great things.
I saved land.
Forever.