If you’re wondering about Valentine’s Day gifts, I have an idea (and this goes much further than today’s holiday).

Gone is the day when talking about the environment was solely for hippy tree-huggers. The discussion has expanded from science labs and legislation to classrooms and the workplace. It’s on your morning news and has shaped a good part of our presidential election.

We are clearly at crucial time in the story of our earth. With much to be decided about the future for this mother of ours and with all of her children feeling like they know what’s best -- it was only a matter of time for the conversation to truly turn global for the everyman.

“I’m a Princess,” she said, opening her palms and turning her face to the sky. Soft pink petals of cherry blossoms sprinkled down magically around her. I’d never seen Kamioke-san look so light; so full of life. I’d been visiting her off and on as a volunteer for several months, through Hands and Hearts, an organization created to offer companionship to the elderly who suffered loss in some way during the ’95 Kobe earthquake.