Today, His Royal Highness Prince William, first heir to the King of England, is in Boston to award $1 million dollars to each of the five winners of his annual Earthshot Prize. He created the contest to promote finding solutions to climate change and felt inspired by John F. Kennedy’s space race to the Moon.

Last week my family took a Thanksgiving break to Boston and we stayed at the Revere Hotel located downtown near Boston Common. We visited many modern and historic sites including the Revere home and learned the history of his famous legendary horse ride to alert colonists that “the British are coming” which began the Revolutionary War. However, according to the Fondor’s Travel guide to Boston, Revere and others still considered themselves to be British colonists and he did not yell these exact words.

I took the cover photo at the Revere Hotel showing a “steampunk sculpture constructed out of recycled metals by a local artist,” according to Fondor’s Travel guide. A great example of the 3R’s: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. The hotel clerk jokingly said the rider is a statue of Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics; however, the current player wearing number 0 is Jayson Tatum.

We also learned about our family history on my father’s side - my ancestor sailed from England to New Hampshire in 1633, only 13 years after the Mayflower landed in Plymouth, MA. He was not a Pilgrim but a fisherman who acquired 40 acres, planted an apple orchard on 3 acres, and his son William built a 30 foot by 20 foot log home that served as a garrison for protection to the community and is now preserved at the Woodman Museum. So my family ancestors came from Britain near Liverpool and I’m learning of family connections including with George Harrison and David Bowie (who were 14th cousins) and other famous Brits! Too bad my musical ability is limited to my whistling.

I’m grateful for our ancestors and patriots who fought for freedoms that we’ve inherited. Learning about the hardships and challenges faced by previous generations, we’re so fortunate to be living at this time of modern conveniences. Now we need to find a sustainable balance to protect our Mother Earth, reduce consumption, waste, and stress especially during this holiday season. Protecting our planet and all inhabitants is a recipe for global harmony.