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Health & Fitness

Earth Day: honor your mother

You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make. – Dame Jane Goodall, British primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, and UN Messenger of Peace

Our household has always been good about not being wasteful. Well, we preach that way of life to our kids, scolding them when they take long showers or reminding them to compost the scraps of food left on their plates. But I can't say for certain that they are mindful when we're not around. One hopes that growing up with this philosophy carries over into their adult lives. I developed this habit because my parents made sure we weren't wasteful – not because they were environmentalists but because they came from a country in which you didn't have much so you didn't waste much. I remember when we visited the Philippines for my second and last trip, when I was an undergraduate in December 1985. Toilet paper was in short supply and you were given one napkins, which were tiny, thin squares. This made a lasting impression on me.

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