Start Close In

Start close in,
don't take the second step
or the third,
start with the first thing close in,
the step you don't want to take.
Start with the ground you know,
the pale ground beneath your feet,
your own way of starting the conversation.
Start with your own question,
give up on other people's questions,
don't let them smother something simple.
To find another's voice follow your own voice,
wait until that voice becomes a private ear
listening to another. Start right now
take a small step you can call your own
don't follow someone else's heroics,
be humble and focused, start close in,
don't mistake that other for your own.
Start close in,
don't take the second step
or the third,
start with the first thing close in,
the step you don't want to take. ~ David Whyte

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Question: How can I help my children retain their innocence as they start school and are exposed to so many things I can not control?

Answer: Please note that this answer needs only a slight modification to address a different question: How can I maintain my own innocence as I travel through a world I do not control?

· Make time everyday to unconditionally love your child. See, and share with them, their unique beauty and grace.
· Talk to your child about the day. Help make sense out of the events of the day and the cultural climate of the school.
· Be an advocate. Question things for your child when needed. Be sure the school environment is one in which one your child is safe and can blossom.
· Create opportunities for your child to experience the natural world as safe and nurturing
· For more ideas, see Nature and The Human Soul, page 92
Posted by at