Conscious Living

My Kids, The Environment, And Me

When I heard the words, “We’re going to have a baby” over 18 years ago, a change came over me. Before those words were uttered, I lived in the moment. I lived in my moment. I gave very little thought to my future, let alone to the future of others. Then, those 6 words came into existence, and the world as I knew it expanded.

I am ashamed to admit that I cared little about the environment or the global population before I became a dad. It’s a selfish way for a person to live. There is a lot of talk now about what it means to be a global citizen and before I started my parenting journey, it wasn’t a thought that I entertained. When my son was born, I welcomed him into the world by saying, “Hi, I’m your daddy.” And that night when I held him, I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders.

Since that moment of holding my son on the first day of his life, I welcomed 3 more children into this world. The feeling was the same every time I cradled them in my arms, and that was feeling an entire future on my back. Being a dad, to me, means preparing my kids for the future. To give them all the tools they need to be successful adults. To not only tell them how to live, but to show them. Being a dad also means that I need to provide them with a great world to inherit.

Whenever we go camping, I tell my kids that we need to leave the campsite better than when we arrived. When I was a soccer coach, it was my desire for the kids to be better humans than when I arrived at the first practice. I can say the same thing when I was a PTA President, a volunteer in my church, a community organizer, and so on. I want to leave this place better than when I arrived.

Let’s face it, we have done the next generation a disservice by not taking care of the environment. I remember when I was a kid and there was an Earth Day celebration. The school talked about recycling and picking up trash, but that was the end of the talk. And it was one day. The next day, we went back to our normal routine. As a dad looking toward the future that my kids are inheriting, picking up garbage and recycling is not enough.

My hope for a better tomorrow is why I am partnering with Evee Life. Evee Life is a new platform that shares the benefits of owning carbon-free vehicles and creates content to help consumers make environmentally friendly choices. Evee Life is more than a website directed toward EV vehicle ownership. It’s a platform that uses its voice to challenge us to make wiser decisions and practice ways to do so.

There is a saying that we’ve all heard before, “It’s better late than never.” Being a dad changed the way I look at the world. I wish I would have made that change earlier. But here I am. I’m recycling, composting food scraps, buying clothes from thrift stores and furniture 2nd hand, and deciding to cut down on my carbon emissions. For those that haven’t changed to make the environment a priority, it’s better late than never.

To find out ways to help the environment, sign up for the Evee Life newsletter.

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