Walk lightly in the spring ..

Snail and baby

With all the rains we've been getting this spring, the snails and slugs are out all over the place. It is almost impossible to walk or jog without crushing a lot of them. Most of them are little ones just starting to move out from beneath the surface of the soil where they were born. No wonder the wise native Americans urge us to "Walk lightly in the spring, for Mother Earth is pregnant"

All the great sages of India walked barefoot. Jain monks and nuns always walk barefoot to show respect and reverence to the earth and to avoid crushing any bugs or insects. They stepped lightly on the earth always not just in the spring.

Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet - Thich Nhat Hanh

Tribute to Acorn School

Feeling sorry for the dead baby bird

It is with a tinge of sadness that I write this post. Acorn School where my children spent their earliest years is closing down today! The greatest thing they learnt from their early days at Acorn School is a love for nature, a keen sense of observation and wonder. This picture taken a week ago is ample proof that all your children will carry this curiosity throughout their lives.

Great oaks from little acorns grow!  Thanks you Acorn School, Rosalba and all the wonderful teachers!! 

The Mute Swan's eggs have hatched!! :)

The new Swan family

An uncontainable joy and excitement is bubbling within me. My mom-in-law just told me that the mute swan's eggs have hatched and there are four little cygnets. We have been observing the pair for over a month now and I was beginning to worry that this was a false pregnancy and nothing good was going to come after this long arduous wait.

I can't wait to head to the lake and sit watching them, but real life pressures prevents me from such luxuries today. I have to finish my day's work, but I plan to head to the lake after picking up the kids from school. The next few months are going to be exciting as we watch the little cygnets grow and adapt to their new world. I know I will be spending a lot of time by the lake side. Everyday holds so much excitement now!!

Words can not express the joy of new life - Hermann Hesse

Live and Let Live 'tis the great law of nature

Swan, Heron and Ducks

I cherish the luxury of leisure that lets me wander about in the woods in the afternoon before picking up my children from school. Especially on a day like yesterday with the sun shining brightly on a perfect spring day! I soak in the sights and sounds of the birds, insects and all the creatures great and small.

Today's offerings were irresistibly sweet. I got to watch a nesting swan sitting calmly on her eggs, the shy and elusive blue heron preening under the warm sun, the mallard duck and her eight little ducklings thrashing about in the water. All these birds were sharing a small area along the lake in harmony, in no way threatened by the proximity of the other.

Need I say more? Live and Let Live 'tis the great law of nature.

Gift Of Wings : Song by Jack Grunsky

What a beautiful song by Canadian singer and songwriter Jack Grunsky!! My son learnt this song in his kindergarten class and sang it last week for his school's 10th anniversary celebration. The tune just caught on to me. As a parent there are so many wonderful messages I can take from this song. Here are my thoughts and interpretation of this song...

Show me days of wonder
New roads to travel on
Help me make discoveries
Teach me a brand new song
(We must let our children be free so they can wonder about everything they see. We must travel and explore and show them new places and things. We must give them enough leisure so they can make new discoveries. We must sing and dance and learn with them as they learn new songs.)

Show me where I come from
So much to realize
Show me where I’m going to
And open up my eyes
(As newcomers to another country, we must teach our children where they came from, the culture of their parents land and also the culture of their new home. This knowledge will keep them rooted so they can go forward into the future with confidence taking with them the knowledge of the old and the learnings of the new)

If you will take me heart
If you will teach me all these things
You’re giving me the gift of wings
(All these wonderful lessons on life will give our children new wings and let them soar like they should!)

Show me all the beauty
Everywhere to see
Open up the gate
Set my imagination free
(Instead of the rush and monotony of the daily grind, we must show them everything that is beautiful in this world. We must take them into the lap of mother nature where beauty is everywhere as far as the eyes can see.)  

Teach me to express myself
In many different ways
Build my sense of worthiness
For all of my days
(We must show the children how they can fully express themselves physically, emotionally and also intellectually. We must instil in them worthiness by teaching them responsibility towards themselves, their family, friends, community and the environment. We must teach them to give freely of themselves to others through charity and generosity, volunteering and helping those in need in their neighborhoods and community)

Help me find my colours
Help me bring them to the light
So that I may paint my dreams
Strong and beautiful and bright
(We must help our children find what they love doing and help them to realize them daily.)

Teach the joy of learning
To make the magic last
I’ll take into the future
All the love in my past
(Instead of cramming them with information and snuffing out the joy in learning, we must slowly kindle in them the joy of learning, so the joy lasts for all the days of their lives. The love of learning should grow as we grow and be carried to a ripe old age. That is the magic of life!! We must give them so much love and happiness because this is what they take into the future and to the generations yet to come!!)

If you will take me heart
If you will teach me all these things
You’re giving me the gift of wings