I teach special needs language arts two mornings a week at a tiny private school. Because school started only two weeks ago, about all that I have gotten done so far this school year is individualized testing to see who needs my help. Last week, as I was pulling my things together to head off to school, I felt compelled to grab some healthy snacks, some colored paper clips and a set of tuning forks.
Entering the front door of the school, I found the principal talking to a small first grade boy, whose clouded face told me was having a very difficult day. This young one (I will call him Pauli), if diagnosed, would probably be labeled ADHD. But to me, he is just a bright little one who probably needs another year to run free in nature. School seems to be torture to his little soul and seems to become more difficult each new day. My heart went out to him as our eyes met.
I don't really have a set schedule yet, so I said, "Pauli, I brought some special things to show you - would you like to come with me for a little while?" The Principal's eyes filled with gratitude as Pauli whined something like, "sure," and slid out of his chair to follow me into the room where I work.
Little ones with focus challenges will often calm down and focus better if you can get them to listen to a tuning fork from the time that you tap it until the time that it stops vibrating. Pauli and I played with the tuning forks until he had forgotten his unhappiness and was calm and settled down a bit. I got out the colored paper clips and let him look at the bright colors. I told him, as I laid out five in front of him, that these were going to be my signals to him. When he was focusing on the words and trying hard to match the letters with sounds and words that I would every once in a while lay another one out for him. But when he forgot what we were doing or refused to try to figure out the words then I would signal him that he was not engaged in helpful behavior by slipping one on the clips back into the sack. I then asked him if he was ready to try a few pages of his book. He looked at me skeptically but said, "ok".
The book was difficult but it was interesting and the paper clips coming and going kept him engaged until suddenly we were on the last page and he had read the entire book. He grinned up at me and said, "Would you like to see the rock in my pocket?" I of course said, "yes", so he pulled a small green rock out and told me that it was a piece of jade that he had found. Because of my love for rocks, I truly was interested to study it and appreciate it. Then I asked him if he would like to see the rock in my pocket and his eyes got huge. As I pulled one of my favorite rocks that I often carry with me out of my pocket, he gasped as if he had never found a kindred spirit before. As he looked at me and then at my rock, a little bit of unnamed magic seemed to fill the room and our hearts. I thanked him for his hard work, gave him a healthy treat, hugged him and walked with him as he skipped back to his classroom - his rotten day completely forgotten.
The next evening, our Wisdom Circle was discussing The Law of Abundance. In our culture, the idea of abundance usually calls up thoughts of monetary abundance or wealth. As our group members read quotes from famous authors about how to attract abundance into one's life, I suddenly remembered my time with Pauli the day before. Wasn't my time with Pauli a perfect example of abundance flowing into a situation? First, I prepared to go to school to serve in a loving way the highest good of whoever I got to spend time with that day. I then paid attention to something higher than my conscious self when it prompted me to grab some unusual things and take them with me before I walked out of the door. Next, I recognized a need and did my best to fill that need without an attachment to what the result would look like. The end result was an abundance of wondrous occurrences: an entire difficult book read, a feeling of pride and accomplishment, a magical connection between two kindred spirits and the total release of a bad day.
The universe is made in such a way that abundance is always trying to flow into our lives. We can either open to that abundance with high intentions to serve in whatever way we can, not being attached to the outcome and paying attention to the inner "knowing" that always moves to help us. Or, we can put a kink in the abundance hose with fear, self-doubt, or lack of attention to the leading of the Divine.
Are you living a life of abundance? If not, what is kinking up the hose that is trying to bring that abundance to you?
Entering the front door of the school, I found the principal talking to a small first grade boy, whose clouded face told me was having a very difficult day. This young one (I will call him Pauli), if diagnosed, would probably be labeled ADHD. But to me, he is just a bright little one who probably needs another year to run free in nature. School seems to be torture to his little soul and seems to become more difficult each new day. My heart went out to him as our eyes met.
I don't really have a set schedule yet, so I said, "Pauli, I brought some special things to show you - would you like to come with me for a little while?" The Principal's eyes filled with gratitude as Pauli whined something like, "sure," and slid out of his chair to follow me into the room where I work.
Little ones with focus challenges will often calm down and focus better if you can get them to listen to a tuning fork from the time that you tap it until the time that it stops vibrating. Pauli and I played with the tuning forks until he had forgotten his unhappiness and was calm and settled down a bit. I got out the colored paper clips and let him look at the bright colors. I told him, as I laid out five in front of him, that these were going to be my signals to him. When he was focusing on the words and trying hard to match the letters with sounds and words that I would every once in a while lay another one out for him. But when he forgot what we were doing or refused to try to figure out the words then I would signal him that he was not engaged in helpful behavior by slipping one on the clips back into the sack. I then asked him if he was ready to try a few pages of his book. He looked at me skeptically but said, "ok".
The book was difficult but it was interesting and the paper clips coming and going kept him engaged until suddenly we were on the last page and he had read the entire book. He grinned up at me and said, "Would you like to see the rock in my pocket?" I of course said, "yes", so he pulled a small green rock out and told me that it was a piece of jade that he had found. Because of my love for rocks, I truly was interested to study it and appreciate it. Then I asked him if he would like to see the rock in my pocket and his eyes got huge. As I pulled one of my favorite rocks that I often carry with me out of my pocket, he gasped as if he had never found a kindred spirit before. As he looked at me and then at my rock, a little bit of unnamed magic seemed to fill the room and our hearts. I thanked him for his hard work, gave him a healthy treat, hugged him and walked with him as he skipped back to his classroom - his rotten day completely forgotten.
The next evening, our Wisdom Circle was discussing The Law of Abundance. In our culture, the idea of abundance usually calls up thoughts of monetary abundance or wealth. As our group members read quotes from famous authors about how to attract abundance into one's life, I suddenly remembered my time with Pauli the day before. Wasn't my time with Pauli a perfect example of abundance flowing into a situation? First, I prepared to go to school to serve in a loving way the highest good of whoever I got to spend time with that day. I then paid attention to something higher than my conscious self when it prompted me to grab some unusual things and take them with me before I walked out of the door. Next, I recognized a need and did my best to fill that need without an attachment to what the result would look like. The end result was an abundance of wondrous occurrences: an entire difficult book read, a feeling of pride and accomplishment, a magical connection between two kindred spirits and the total release of a bad day.
The universe is made in such a way that abundance is always trying to flow into our lives. We can either open to that abundance with high intentions to serve in whatever way we can, not being attached to the outcome and paying attention to the inner "knowing" that always moves to help us. Or, we can put a kink in the abundance hose with fear, self-doubt, or lack of attention to the leading of the Divine.
Are you living a life of abundance? If not, what is kinking up the hose that is trying to bring that abundance to you?
1 comment:
What a great story! Thanks for sharing it. It made me wish my children had had more teachers like you. Pauli is a lucky boy. Thanks again.
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