I always find it absolutely magical how nature unravels the folds, stretching the senses, which allows for exponential growth.
We arrived in the forest on a beautiful Wednesday morning. We pulled up into the parking-lot of the forest, the trees arching and reaching in a medley of greens and browns. For me the forest immediately adds grace to my pace. I so often get into the rhythm of great speed and sometimes struggle to find the spaces in between to take respite to just breathe deeply. So, visits to the forest are welcomed always. Moreover, to share the experience with loved ones amplifies my feelings of gratitude. I'm happy to feel that bringing the children to the forest was a wonderful idea. They lapped-up all the lush 'greenness' around them. Bounding up the narrow paths, fishing for tadpoles in the mountain streams, picking up de-robed exoskeletons, hanging upside down from trees, climbing into the high canopy of the forest and generally unwinding in the expanse and abundance of the forest.
I found time to have reflective conversations with the girls in particular. The boys had run on ahead and the girls walked at a slow pace up the mountain paths. We spoke about relationships and what they meant to them. They shared stories about their boyfriends and what they expect and receive from their partners. Speaking about relationships and their expectations allowed for a deepening of understanding in terms of how they perceive themselves. Each of the girls have a distinct and specific way of reflecting and expressing what and how they feel. Whilst listening, I wondered about the journey along which they had been that allowed for them to express their viewpoints in the way they did, what experiences had informed their ideas, who reified and fortified meaning into their observations, and where exactly was the birth place of such ideas. When our conversations had subsided, I turned my recorder off. The girls then requested that they hear what they had just shared. I replied that we could collectively listen to it in the car on the way home, as we had now re-joined the boys and had also reached the highest reach of the contour path. We decided to head back down as I wanted us to practice our play before dropping them back at home.
When we reached the bottom, we feasted on a few berries that we plucked off the tree before sitting on the grass patch for a quick lunch. Some of the children had not brought a lunch (I had asked them on this occasion to bring their own packed lunch to share and I would supplement it with juice and fruits). The children were familiar with these berries and so harvested them in great numbers.I wondered, and still wonder if the 'great harvest' was a substitution for not having a pre-packed lunch. Those that brought food graciously shared what they had.
During our lunch we got a chance to see a helicopter take off which was very exciting for us all. It was a first time for all our eyes and we laughed and smiled in astonishment as great gusts of air swirled around us as the helicopter began to rise. After lunch we had a short practice and then headed back home. During the car ride we listened to the conversations we recorded earlier. The children clutched the recorder close to their ears two-by-two, listening to what they had said. I thought it was an interesting way to be self-reflective.
We arrived in the forest on a beautiful Wednesday morning. We pulled up into the parking-lot of the forest, the trees arching and reaching in a medley of greens and browns. For me the forest immediately adds grace to my pace. I so often get into the rhythm of great speed and sometimes struggle to find the spaces in between to take respite to just breathe deeply. So, visits to the forest are welcomed always. Moreover, to share the experience with loved ones amplifies my feelings of gratitude. I'm happy to feel that bringing the children to the forest was a wonderful idea. They lapped-up all the lush 'greenness' around them. Bounding up the narrow paths, fishing for tadpoles in the mountain streams, picking up de-robed exoskeletons, hanging upside down from trees, climbing into the high canopy of the forest and generally unwinding in the expanse and abundance of the forest.
When we reached the bottom, we feasted on a few berries that we plucked off the tree before sitting on the grass patch for a quick lunch. Some of the children had not brought a lunch (I had asked them on this occasion to bring their own packed lunch to share and I would supplement it with juice and fruits). The children were familiar with these berries and so harvested them in great numbers.I wondered, and still wonder if the 'great harvest' was a substitution for not having a pre-packed lunch. Those that brought food graciously shared what they had.
During our lunch we got a chance to see a helicopter take off which was very exciting for us all. It was a first time for all our eyes and we laughed and smiled in astonishment as great gusts of air swirled around us as the helicopter began to rise. After lunch we had a short practice and then headed back home. During the car ride we listened to the conversations we recorded earlier. The children clutched the recorder close to their ears two-by-two, listening to what they had said. I thought it was an interesting way to be self-reflective.
