“I can lose my hands, and still live.
I can lose my legs and still live.
I can lose my eyes and still live.
I can lose my hair, eyebrows, nose, arms,
and many other things and still live.
But if I lose the air I die.
If I lose the sun I die.
If I lose the earth I die.
If I lose the water I die.
If I lose the plants and animals I die.
All of these things are more a part of me,
more essential to my every breath,
than is my so-called body.”

• Jack D. Forbes