The move went really well and waking up in a beach house is very much like being on vacation. Oh..wait..I AM on vacation! So weird. I'm not too good at doing nothing. I bounce between music, guitar, books, writing, walking and napping. I often feel restless and want to be of assistance to someone. I'd be out on the beach right now except that it's totally cloudy and overcast. So here I am updating the world (of my blog readers) what I've been swimming in (other than the gorgeous, warm ocean and the pool in the backyard!)
I feel like I'm trying to get used to living in new skin. It's awkward at times and uncomfortable. It doesn't quite fit just yet and I question whether it's really right for me. It's also thrilling and encouraging at times when I feel my growth and sense my change in perspective. I suppose everyone sheds skins now and then, it just feels more dramatic because for me it was the purpose of this trip and I'm focusing on it in a bigger way. I feel like my range of vision is bigger, my ears more open, my mouth full with new ideas and yet much quieter, letting my ears do more work and my heart more accepting. Striving to be a "better" person takes diligence and yet it's a lifelong process so it needs to be balanced with gratitude and joy. I still enjoy my kid-skin and silliness and am happy to know that will always be a part of who I am. Mostly my shifts are about becoming a more compassionate person in every form I can. I want to ask more questions to gain better understanding and strive to be selfless. Patience and tolerance in every moment challenges my need to be right. I don't think there's anything wrong with opinion as long as we know the difference between sharing ideas and telling "facts." It's becoming more apparent to me that even scientifically the truth is always relevant.
Most recently education has been the focus of my dreams; my own and that of the world's children. It's been continually confirmed for me that strength, confidence and wisdom stem from a healthy and balanced education. Education of course has many masks but the point is it provides constant support to the developing interests of the human mind and spirit in order for one to understand and define her purpose. Education is the foundation of a sustainable environment, a stable economy, respectable relationships, healthy choices and tomorrow's world. Unfortunately education is unbelievably undervalued! (Not to mention tainted and contrived in some cases.) I am so grateful for my own amazing education and for my interest and passionate calling to it.
But what I don't understand is how little appreciation and support goes toward the people building the future by molding and encouraging tomorrow's leaders and peace makers. How does anyone think people got to where they're at today? Rarely (if ever) does someone get anywhere entirely on their own. Growth, understanding and wisdom come from education. It comes from parents, teachers, mentors, siblings, friends, community leaders, authors, musicians, directors, philosophers, children, animals and the stranger you talked to on the bus. We are all part of each other's understanding of the world and have to realize our responsibility to support, encourage and appreciate each other's talents, ideas and unique perspectives.
I wonder what the world would be like if we all treated one another the way you might treat a child struggling to learn how to tie her shoe, or pour water from a pitcher or get to the top of a stairwell four times his size. We were all there once, we all had to learn those things. And we, as adults, all learn new things daily, so why not give each other the benefit of the doubt and be more understanding about each of our processes of development. I think if we were all more sensitive to each other, more patient and listened more readily, we would have a much more peaceful world. And guess what, those things are taught in preschool. Those things are the foundation of a strong education. This, I believe, is the solution to the pain and suffering of the people in our world. This, based in love and trust. It's all quite simple really and yet amazingly fundamental.
With the Obamas at the head of the American ship, I hope we can begin to make some shifts in the direction this world is heading in. Lead with acceptance for one another, cooperation with each other, sustainable choices, and compassionate living, all things we teach our children, let's learn from and be an example for each other. I know this blog doesn't get far. I know my daily interactions are a small flickering flame in the dark. And I also know that every opportunity I have to offer kindness instead of shame, support instead of control, and a smile of understanding instead of a defensive rebuttal, I am shining brighter from my own heart as an example for others to follow. I hope this message encourages anyone who reads it to do the same. One day, I believe, all teachers will have this strength and will bring up generation after generation of compassionate, understanding and loving human beings who will rule the world with the light in their hearts.
Mother Teresa said "If you can't feed one hundred people, feed just one." Today I hope to feed the spirit of one. And if you like, I'll make you a bowl of soup as well!
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