|
08 January 2011
The tops of the eucalyptus trees glow as the morning sun streams through the branches. I look east toward the rising sun, eyes closed, face basking in the warm rays. Inhaling through my nose, I feel the moist soil under me as I sit content on the north slope early Thursday morning. I take advantage of this quiet moment to relax, ground and reflect before the closing day of Winter WonderFarm 2010.
The sing-song playful melodies of the morning birds in their ritual dance on the farm fills my heart with joy. The wind is quieter today, only a soft breeze blows over the undulating landscape, where fava beans stand still alongside celery, lettuce, chard, spinach, kale, frizee, parsley and towers of potatoes: a hundred different shades of green.
Over the past two weeks, I have come to the farm almost everyday helping to co-create the magic of Winter WonderFarm. In collaboration with inspiring and creative educators, urban farmers, artists, worm enthusiasts, micro brewers, musicians, bakers, a wise mom from Chicago and a crew of fantastic Wonderers (the kids!) During the past two weeks I have encountered many miracles. I have learned a lot from the Wonderers about experiencing life with a Beginner’s Mind.
“The word, ‘miracle,’ is derived from the Latin verb, mirari - to wonder or marvel. And wonder, said Aristotle, is the beginning of wisdom...Many children believe anything is possible, eveything is possible! They approach life with a Beginner’s Mind. Such a Beginner’s Mind opens us up to the magic of life.”
A mountainous pile of mulch during Winter WonderFarm equaled hours of play, discovery, laughter, overcoming fears of dirt, buildiing communities across age groups and a warm spot to snuggle into on cold wintery afternoons.
A young boy spends the first week at Winter WonderFarm on his own mission, running away, exploring independently, seemingly not interested in the evolving group dynamic...Week 2 he stands atop Much Mountain laughing and celebrating in the dirt with the community of campers and teachers...a miracle!
Light, fluffy drops fall from the sky on a blustery morning and we exclaim in wonder, “SNOW!”
Pathways fill up with rainwater during a storm and we marvel at the rivers, ponds and mud puddles of Hayes Valley Farm. We crouch down low to the earth, so our eyes are level with the surface of the water and we observe reflections of trees and cityscape in these temporal bodies of water.
An older “veteran” Wonderer makes the choice to help resolve a conflict which caused a 3 year-old to cry and leave our picnic lunch...a miracle!
“Feel the sun, feel the sunnnnn!” We sing!
We educators laugh until we pee (almost) as we dive deep into the spirit of wonder and play with the Wonderers all week long.
The Mountain who Loved the Bird, by Alice McLarren, teaches us that when joy flies into your life it can crack even the most solid of mountains, inspiring fresh water to flow and all it takes is one seed to transform gray rock into a lush, verdant, landscape brimming with life and love!
A miracle.
“Albert Einstein said: ‘There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.’ The choice is up to us! No matter what our age, we can become childlike and delight in the mysteries and magic of life!”
Thank you for inspiring wonder, the opportunity to imagine, create, sing, dance, laugh learn and play! It has been miraculous.
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Subscribe to RSS Feed
Over a thousand volunteers, neighbors, and community members have helped coordinate the farm efforts.