Tending To Our Common Home

Dear Lions,

I have always believed that you take care of the things you care about. That’s why I keep my home tidy and my plants watered. When something is damaged, I fix it. I know that if I don’t do these things, my house won’t be the place I want to call home. The rooms would be a mess if I didn’t keep them clean, the house would fall into disrepair if I didn’t take care of it, and my plants would die if I didn’t bring them water.

My house is in Brooklyn. Yours may be in Kentucky, or Mexico, or India. But really, we all share one home—the Earth. And it’s filled with so much diversity and so much beauty. As Lions, we have committed to caring for our environment in the same way we have committed to caring for our fellow humans. Because we cannot separate the wellbeing of people from the wellbeing of our planet.

Earth Day is April 22. But I would argue that every day should be a day that we ask ourselves what more we could do to protect and restore the natural world. Whether you participate in a clean-up event, save a corner of your garden for pollinator plants, or spend the time to ensure you are recycling properly, I hope you are able to find some way to give back to the environment this month.

Because no matter where in the world we live, we all have only one true home. Let’s take care of it together.

Yours in service,

Douglas X. Alexander

International President, Lions Clubs International