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FOCUS: Fostering Our Children's Uniqueness & Spirit |
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I love spring. Spring is a time of new beginnings. There is a fresh aliveness in the air breathing new life into the myriad transformations and regenerations taking place moment by moment. The sun’s warmth awakens plants that once lay dormant throughout winter. Buds, leaves and vibrant flowers emerge anew in perfect harmony with the rhythm of nature. Birds sing their glorious lively songs and are actively and purposefully caring for their young.
This is the time of year when I spend long hours tending my garden with loving care –raking, digging, weeding and pruning away the old to make way for the new. It is deeply soul-satisfying being at one with Nature, clearing my thoughts and purifying my mind, body and spirit. In this sacred space, the cycles of life and principles of growth and renewal are powerfully revealed. This is where I feel a genuine connection with a divine intelligence that knows no boundaries.
Within every seed, within every living thing, exists an innate desire to express itself fully, a yearning to emerge as it is intended to be. From the tiniest beginnings, great things can come. For a seed to become its fullest potential, it must be amply nurtured and nourished from its earliest stages. Soil is the foundation and provides the vital ingredients for a healthy, supportive and prosperous journey. Water sustains life and enhances the seed’s ascension. The sun showers the budding plant with golden rays of hope and expectancy.
Whether or not you have worked in a garden, you are continuously planting seeds in the garden of children’s lives. A parent who leaves a love note in a child’s lunchbox or on a pillow at night plants seeds of love and thoughtfulness. A teacher who listens and gently helps children resolve conflicts without blame or judgment plants seeds of compassion, safety and fairness. A family that enjoys doing community service projects together plants seeds of connection, contribution and responsibility. A small random gesture, such as a smile, holding hands or a warm embrace, plants seeds of tenderness and appreciation. Our actions, thoughts, reactions, feelings and words may either plant seeds of love and support or weeds of fear and doubt. What will you plant today?
A word of caution: It is possible you may never see the fruits of your labor. Some seeds take longer to bloom than others. A date tree takes 80 years before it bears fruit. Seed planters or sowers are more concerned with extravagantly planting seeds of love wherever they go, never knowing for certain when they will take root. They simply trust and surrender to the perfection of Life. They have faith that in the child’s own season, the harvest comes.
This past week, I had the honor and privilege of attending the confirmation ceremony and celebration of a student from 17 years ago. Antonio instantly had a special place in my heart the first time I met him in Head Start. In those days I was a special education teacher/consultant and traveled to many sites in the west valley. I soooo looked forward to my weekly visits and being in the presence of this ball of energy and his joy of life and laughter! Antonio’s mother, Rosalie, and I quickly became friends and recently discovered that our families’ paths had crossed prior to our initial meeting. Seeing what a beautiful expression Antonio blossomed into was deeply, deeply heart warming. I’d like to think that I contributed to his greatness. It is more likely that he contributed to mine. Oh, yes, these little sowers plant many, many seeds of love in the garden of my blessed life!!!!
What seeds do you sow in the garden of children’s hearts? Seeds of love, kindness, patience, trust, joy, honesty, enthusiasm, adventure, desire, curiosity, peace, compassion, creativity, laughter, beauty, humor, forgiveness, respect, truth? What possibilities could exist for children if we planted seeds of healing instead of harming? Loving instead of loathing? Acceptance instead of rejection? Plant seeds with intention. Plant them with love. Plant them everywhere everyday. Feed, water and give them what they need to grow. Be the gardener of dreams and desires. Let us sow only seeds that contribute to the creation of beautiful gardens and cultivate the true spirit of life.
May your gardens
be abundantly filled with bouquets of love, light, beauty and joy,
Therese, thank you for planting seeds, seeds and more seeds of possibilities!!!!
Of
all the wonderful things in the wonderful universe of God, nothing
seems to me more surprising
Nurture a Child “Nuggets”
Space Needed: A reader of the newsletter is seeking space to hold an event in the fall, September or October. Her desire is to bring Inbal Kashtan to the valley for a full day seminar on the topic of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) in Parenting. Inbal is the head of the National NVC Parenting Project and she gets how much parents need empathy and how to bring it down to a very practical level with interactive exercises. This would be a wonderful boost to our growing community of Compassionate Spirited parents and educators. Ideal space would accommodate 80 – 100 adults and have child care facilities on site. If you have any suggestions or recommendations, please email me and I will pass it forward. THANK YOU!
Web
links for Gardening with Children
Eartheasy’s Gardening with Children What to plant - top 10 crops for children, tips for gardening and resources
Family Gardening is a place where you can find fun, original gardening activities to do at home with your loved ones.
Kidsgardening.com
with
teacher and family resources
Gardening
with Children
Books about gardening with kids for adults and children.
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