For a school dedicated to stewardship I certainly dropped the ball on World Wild Life Day. Once clued in we enjoyed watching some videos from around the world - including the incredible story about the last male northern white rhino that is protected 24/7 by armed guards. It was a jaw dropper for E.P. He guessed the guns were to scare off big prey. I stayed silent regarding any of my own guesses and skipped reading the portion of the article about poachers, humans, being the threat. Even with our time table to "save the earth" unexpectedly expedited by changes in the government I am still sticking to David Sobel's guideline of "No catastrophes before grade 4". I decided to shield him from the horror of other humans' choices. Instead we marveled in the dedication of some people when it comes to saving the future for other species.
As our day meandered along I struggled to make a meaningful experience regarding the stunning grandeur of the wild. It was an off day. Then, an hour before bedtime, what is often the "witching hour", became a positively magical moment as some glass stones from the dollar store spilled out over the nat geo I was cutting up for scrapbooking. The slight magnifying effect of the convex glass made echinacea blooms and a lone wolf pop from the heap and the kids eyes did about the same. With scissors and Elmer's we didn't stop until every stone was transformed into a small token that magnifed the magnificence of the wild.
At the beginning of this week I had a bout of spiritual bankruptcy. The classic struggle for hope in hard ecological times. I saw Jimmy Carter's words scribbled on a white board at the ski lodge, "Like music and art, love of nature is a common language that can transcend political or social boundaries." Although I was struggling emotionally that day the Douglas Firs in their new white robes commanded my attention like a royal processional. On the quiet lift up the mountain I relaxed into nature, the only power that I can fall to the feet of without fear.
At the end of this week with a fistful of child-made glass gems I feel rich in our own magical currency - deep reverence for nature and the wild. That's what I am stuffing in their savings accounts and the interest it accrues daily is the best return I've ever seen. That's where I have to turn to source my hope.
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