The Big Bang was the beginning of the universe. It was the day Earth was born. In the very painful beginning of her life, she coped with asteroids bombarding her and the moon crashing into her. Over time, after healing her scars and living alone in the vast universe, she decided that she was ready to create life. That decision marked the start of a young human civilization. Ever since mankind set forth its first footsteps on the land of this planet, Earth had always tried to accommodate the needs of her children. Over the centuries, Mother Earth treated her children with the utmost respect. She showered them with water when they were thirsty. She gifted them rich lands when they were hungry. She made oceans and rivers so they could explore her vast lands by boat.

As time passed, her children evolved into a more sophisticated species. They started ransacking her sacred forests, leaving a trail of barren land so that they could fill it with their concrete jungle. Soon, rivers started to run dry and fish were in peril. The lands that were once filled with abundant and diverse creatures now only had a few. Rejecting the natural Earth, her children built huge, grey factories that emitted nauseous gases. Not only were they destroying the earth, but they also fought amongst themselves, and to Mother Earth’s horror, they started killing each other. Thousands paid a price for the mistakes of a few powerful humans.

Mankind, the species that was supposed to be one of Earth’s most fascinating creations, was now her doom. Mother Earth reprimanded them and punished them by sending storms. She sent tornadoes and tsunamis to remind them that nature is powerful and should be preserved. She cast droughts to help them remember that land was limited and needed to be taken care of. She struck thunder and fires onto the lands to shower her anger upon them. Mankind, ignorant to their mother’s rage, adapted and moved on. They battered, burned, and infected Mother Earth further through their wars and disagreements. Mother Earth did not know what to do. She was lonely in the solar system because she was unique. None of the other planets had ever hosted life.

Devastated, she looked for answers. She empowered wisdom in the minds of those who respected her. She gave them hope. She helped them find a man to believe in. He was the enlightened man. This man convinced humans to follow him instead of trying to destroy each other. The humans had never experienced religion before and were amazed by how powerful it was. They started helping each other understand the world and how it came to be. Many thought that this divine man—who they call God now, created Earth. God was the beginning of life. Soon, other religions and Gods came to be, and people started treating the land better and accepting Earth’s gifts with gratitude.

However, peace did not last long. Fights broke out on which God was better and which one should be worshipped. Wars raged, and the peace Earth worked so hard to attain fell into pieces. Darkness was once again cast into people’s hearts and minds. Tyranny took over the lands and humanity entered its dark days. After the wars, Mother Earth was damaged beyond repair. She was dying from the disease that entered the air from the nuclear wars. She saw how her children were suffering. After all the ordeals she had gone through to get civilization to this stage, she wasn’t going to lose them now. As a last resort, she whispered in the ears of the smartest men and women on how to survive the radiation.

Mother Earth recalled how she had watched these intelligent apes evolve into a brilliant species. She had watched them discover fire. She had observed as they ventured out in the world and started building towns. She had acknowledged them as they invented trains, cars, airplanes, and even cell phones. She had seen them fight and make peace. She had watched them die and be born. She had been with them every step of the way, and now they were saying goodbye. She ruefully waved farewell as her children embarked on a journey to another planet that would give them the same kindness Earth that had given. She hoped that the humans wouldn’t fall towards their demise in the endless cycle of destruction they created on the other planets. The humans were Earth’s greatest accomplishment and her greatest bane.