Day 15 - A thing of beauty...

I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I have heard this quote from my mother growing up... A thing of beauty is joy forever. She said this even as she was sweeping the house or folding the clothes... she would step back, and admire the work of her hands. To me, folding clothes is the worst chore in the world, and I did not enjoy stepping back and looking at it, much less admiring it. When does the quest for perfection change from a source of joy to utter consternation?

To the children, much sooner than adults I would think. Much as I hate to admit it, I do enjoy the fruits of my labor, especially a clean kitchen and house. I actually sit on the floor, and breathe it all in. I know my stompers come in at 3:30, and it is goodbye to clean counters, and a hello to crumbs and tracks of mud!

Teaching how to take joy in work

While some may argue that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, there is still a beauty that appeals universally... And a sense of satisfaction to a job well done, that no one can take away. This is what I am trying to articulate to the children. The most common response is 'why?'... No one cares anyway. No one is watching. Why does it matter? No one gets graded on this.... It is an uphill battle.

Report for the day

A very proud moment for me, when Ben performed his clarinet with the Symphonic band for the winter concert. Amazing job by children who are still in middle school.

Math homework however was a different story. He has completed it without any prompts, and brought it to me for correction, which is what this habit forming is about anyway. I just wanted him to take it a step further, and do it right the first time. I kept up with my harping about underlining keywords, and writing intermediate steps, so the teacher knows the thought process. He does a lot of work mentally, and they are grading the intermediate steps too. I insist on talking out the problem, and writing it out for someone who doesn't even know math (that should be the assumption).

I totally enjoyed my walk, albeit in cold and drizzly and cloudy weather. The sun peeked out for about a second, and my heart sang out! Loved it.

Meditation moment

Our centering thought for today is:

"As I live in present moment awareness, I live the magic of synchrodestiny."

Today's Sanskrit mantra and its English essence are:

Aham Brahmasmi
The core of my being is the ultimate reality, the root and ground of the universe, the source of all that exists.