Porter’s World: The Future of Our Planet
A New Year’s Message from Shawn Maestretti
On November 5, 2016, Porter Drake Maestretti came into our lives with all of the charm and magic that one could imagine. His birth parents believed in and chose us to care for and raise him and we are forever grateful for that gift. From the emotional and tumultuous moments that led to us meeting Porter for the first time, feeding him and changing his diaper at the hospital, being rushed out due to an over-abundance of babies that day, and every single moment from that point on has been a whirlwind of joy.
Porter was a kindred spirit from the moment he opened his eyes and saw us. His mannerisms, energy, feisty and clever behavior, and even his urgency to keep moving forward – we knew he was meant for us. As any parent’s mission would be, we are taking the responsibility of doing everything in our power to secure a future for him very seriously.
Power is a funny thing. By definition it implies the possession of control and authority or influence over others. My personal mission has been to focus on my ability to act and have a direct effect. In other words, it’s in our power to change things. This is what I choose to focus on… but why? Because if we don’t change things, AS IN NOW, Porter and all the children of the world will suffer from our unwillingness to act.
A quote from Frank Lloyd Wright recently caught my attention: “Early in life I had to choose between honest arrogance and hypocritical humility. I chose the former and have seen no reason to change.”
Sound harsh? Yeah… I get that. I am well-known for being direct, intentional, stubborn, tenacious, even somewhat arrogant. But it is because every day I feel a sense of urgency, because when I am not in action, I am not fulfilling my personal commitment to living in “reciprocity with nature”.
This has not been an easy journey for me. When one sees injustice (in this case, injustice to Mother Earth), an individual with deep empathy and tenacity will rise to the occasion and do everything in their power to see change happen. Around the time Porter came into our lives, I heard a 14-year-old girl from Sweden speak to the world with every fiber of her being. I felt the fierce arrow of her passion strike my core as she carried my body and spirit with her.
When Greta Thunberg looks at the facts and points out what humanity is doing wrong, do you think she cares about whether or not your feelings might be hurt? Whether you might feel inconvenienced by making small sacrifices? HELL NO. She is fighting for her life, the lives of her peers, and for our children.
“You say you love your children above all else and yet you are stealing their future in front of their very eyes.”
– Greta Thunberg
Ensuring a future for Porter and your children is our purpose and mission. Restoring our broken promises to Mother Nature is a powerful solution and a great place to start. At Studio Petrichor, we aim to reimagine what is possible, even on the smallest piece of land, and reconnect you to our lifeblood, the soil. Together, in community, we can heal our broken relationship with the land, slow down climate change, and actually secure a future for our little ones.
We remain stubbornly optimistic, tenacious, inquisitive, and most importantly, unapologetic about our passion. We rise to this mission for you and hope that you will join us. The answers lie in committing our hearts to one another and to the soil. Land regeneration and human reconciliation with Nature are key to securing a future for everyone.
