We might try our lives by a thousand simple tests; as, for instance, that the same sun which ripens my beans illumines at once a system of earths like ours. If I had remembered this it would have presented some mistakes. This was not the light in which I hoed them. The stars are apexes of what wonderful triangles! What distant and different beings in the various mansions of the universe are contemplating the same one at the same moment! Nature and human life are as various as our several constitutions. Who shall say what prospect life offers to another? Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant? We should live in all the ages of the world in an hour; ay, in all the worlds of the ages.Here, Thoreau reminds us of the simple wonders of nature, but also emphasizes the importance of empathy—an interesting comparison in relation to his theme of appreciating nature. Does Thoreau want to imply that empathy, “look[ing] through each other’s eyes,” is as important and natural as “the same sun that ripens [his] beans”? Surely, it must be. We should all strive to view the world with more care and love—this much Thoreau and I agree on. Perhaps, then, some of our environmental issues would be solved—would you destroy a forest you truly understood? Would you have to, therefore, destroy any understanding of it you may have in order to destroy it? I believe so. If we all strive to know and love each other and our surroundings, we may find ourselves enlightened and in love.
Let’s all try to care a little more.
Signing off,
—Rebecca
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