My son, Sam, discovered the joys of eating dirt, picking up pine cones, and rolling in the grass this week. During each of these discoveries, I was so moved by Sam’s utter delight and fascination with things I take completely for granted that I put my hurry aside to let him explore his ever-expanding world.

I should’ve expected this day to come. We took Sam for his first “fresh-air walk” two days after bringing him home from the hospital. We’ve walked nearly every day ever since. More accurately, I’ve walked while pushing him along in his stroller. Until he started saying “Walka. Walka. Walka.” (always three times) and pointing out the door. There is a big world waiting for him out there and he’s ready.

Now that he’s walking beside me, the pace of our walks is much slower. This gives me more time to think, even though my thoughts are punctuated with this phrase: “not in your mouth, please.” On one of our adventure walks, while Sam smeared dirt all over his face and under his fingernails, I inspected my own hands. No dirt. I decided to get muddy with him and play with rocks and mossy twigs without worrying that I didn’t have wipes with me. I was surprised at how much fun we both had.

As I watched Sam gleefully chase a feather flying in circles around him, I remembered why I got into this whole business of going green in the first place. Even though I recycled (when it was convenient) I didn’t really give a lot of thought to my part in keeping our planet healthy -- until I became a mom, and started thinking about what was going to be left of the Earth for my son. Suddenly, it mattered to me that I get involved.

It became clear that it wasn’t someone else’s job to save the planet. That responsibility belongs to all of us. And like any group project, you’re going to get varying levels of commitment and different degrees of interest. But that’s okay. Even though we’re in this together, it’s still an “eyes on your own paper” kind of deal. What you do for the environment does matter. Whether you do more or less than your neighbor doesn’t.

The more I explore the green life, I realize “going green” is less about the things we do and more about the way we live our lives. It is, in fact, about getting a little dirt under our nails.

Playing with dirt and enjoying what the Earth has to offer fosters a connection with the planet. I think that connection is imperative because we have to want to be environmentally conscious, and in order to want it, we must first understand why it matters. Simply making environmentally sound choices out of “green guilt” isn’t sustainable. The slow and steady cultivation of an eco-conscious lifestyle is.

Whether or not you have a curious little guy at home, I encourage you to get a little dirt under your own nails. Plant something. Take a walk outside. Breathe in. Breathe out. Repeat.

Enjoy. Respect. Live.