Caring for Creation and Counting Our Blessings ~ Thanksgiving 2024

We are so deeply blessed and cared for by Creation every day in so many ways.  And we are often so busy or so preoccupied that we don't notice.  For instance, if we step outside as the Sun is rising and soak up a few minutes of golden Sunlight, our brain will produce serotonin which helps us wake up!  Serotonin is a neurotransmitter signaling our bodies that it is daytime.

This early morning Sunlight triggers specialized cells in our retina which causes serotonin production.  Sufficient serotonin levels help us to wake up, and stay awake during the day.  Serotonin is also linked to improved mood as well as having a sense of well-being.

Then, at night when the Sun goes down, our brain can use serotonin to produce melatonin.  Melatonin is the neurotransmitter that signals the brain, saying it is time for us to go to sleep.  We now live with so much “artificial light”, not only from light fixtures, but also from all our high-tech screens, that our brain gets confused and doesn’t trigger the process of changing serotonin to melatonin.  This is why many people take a melatonin supplement to go to sleep at night!

These patterns of waking up with the Sun and going to sleep sometime after Sunset developed over thousands and thousands of years.  We have had candles and oil lamps for centuries, but these could not produce the very bright lights that we live with now.  If you want to be more awake during the day and begin to feel drowsy at night, try welcoming the Sun as it comes up in the morning.  In the evening, lower the level of indoor lighting and turn off those screens at a reasonable hour. 

You may find you are sleeping deeper and waking up feeling more rested!  You may also feel more alert during the day!  Remember, changing our waking and sleeping patterns will not happen instantly.  It may take at least a week or more.  But stay with it and you may find you are sleeping better and are more awake during the day!

Chlorophyll is another great blessing that we rarely, if ever, think about.  In photosynthesis, chlorophyll is the green pigment in plants that absorbs light energy from the Sun.  This energy triggers the chemical process in leaves that converts carbon dioxide and water into glucose (sugar) and oxygen.  This works in all green plants, including grass.

Chlorophyll is the primary molecule responsible for capturing the sunlight that triggers this chemical reaction we call photosynthesis!  Chlorophyll and human blood are similar in their chemistry.  Chlorophyll has magnesium(Mg) at its center, while hemoglobin in human blood has an iron (Fe) molecule!  In plants, the chlorophyll absorbs Sunlight.  In humans, the Iron in red blood cells carries oxygen (O2) from our Heart to cells throughout our body!  All this happens in our bodies and in leaves without any effort or even a single thought on our part!  Amazing !!!

So, the next time you see the Sun rise, or walk on the green grass past trees with thousands of leaves, remember how blessed we are.  Creation is working all the time to sustain our lovely little gem of a planet for Humans and all Creatures, Great and Small!

Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving, remembering all our Blessings in Creation …

Mary Christopher teaches mindfulness, 

breathing practices, and building personal resilience.  

Gardening and Being in Nature are among her favorite activities.