“Waste not, want not,” asks everyone to pay attention to what they “waste” as that waste might lead to “want.”
Living outside one of our local conservation parks for twenty-five years has been a treasure, one that I deeply value. I have logged thousands of kilometres either on foot or by bicycle and have taken thousands of photographs of the beauty waiting to be unwrapped.
My files include photos of brilliant hues of gold, amber and bronze on the towering oaks in the late fall. There are scenes of the deep burgundy sumacs against the water's edge, dives of the swallows over the creek, and the dewy yellow fluff of the newly hatched goslings in the spring.
Each day, in every season, there are brand-new discoveries.
A winter’s ice storm turns the park into a place where the sun glistens off the natural sculptures the ice created. They are astonishing in their loveliness. A thunderstorm can bring about a sunset that makes you forget there was ever a storm.
The arrival of spring allows you to discover blossoms that include all the colours of the rainbow, not forgetting the fragrance of the lilacs that floods your senses. I’ve caught the beauty of the red-tailed hawk in all his majesty and the aggressiveness of the red-wing blackbirds as they battle over a worm. The character I see in the gnarly old willow reminds me that with age comes change, and I hope to age with a level of grace that will bend with the winds.
Yet, I may lack grace when it comes to waste.
I am greatly dismayed to see how one can look at this beauty without being overcome with gratitude and deep respect for all our Creator God has made. How about we say together, “It is good,” and together, lovingly care for our parks and our world.
This spring has brought a deep and dark sadness to my spirit as I’ve seen the vast amount of waste littering our beloved park. On any given day, on a short 5 km. walk, I can count upwards of 50 discarded coffee cups.
That is just a part of the waste.
Other trash, some that is too crass to mention, includes discarded cups, bottles, straws, cigarette wrappers, etc. Then some dog walkers seem to think it is o.k. to bag your pet’s waste and leave the bag hanging on a tree branch. Really?
We hear a great deal these days about pride. How about we take pride in this beautiful world that we have been gifted?
When I think of the saying “waste not, want not”, I consider the scary thought that if we keep wasting, we will certainly be in great want. Want for clean air, for clean water, for healthy wildlife. When you contemplate a beautiful swan, duck or any waterfowl dying because it has a piece of plastic wrapped around its body that chokes the life out of it, do you stop and lament… what a waste?
When I looked at our Hamilton Conservation website, I saw this beautiful statement:
“Dedicated to the conservation and enjoyment of watershed lands and water resources.”
I am so glad they are dedicated to such a beautiful calling.
Can we collectively, with pride, sing our inspiring Canadian National Anthem? Are we guarding this great land where the pines and maples grow? Is the broad domain that is referenced in our anthem something that we hold dear?
Please, let us together consider what little effort it takes to “waste not, want not.”
Susan Page is the daughter of the King, His beloved child, wonderfully forgiven and blessed! Susan longs to age gracefully, becoming more like Jesus as she seeks the hidden treasures revealed to her through Scripture, literature, the arts, humankind, and nature.