Beauty is made before it’s perceived. It’s decorating the dinner table with a crown of fall leaves. Singing by a fire. Hand painting a dead tree. Speaking a kind word to a stranger, Carving little jewels from elderflower branches. Gathering moss in the shape of a mandala. Dancing to the beat of a brooding storm. […]
generosity
Making humans who serve life
There was a time in your ancestry, either within living memory or well beyond depending on your particular lineage, when a child was raised not to be all that she could be, but to serve life. Raising a child like that takes a lot of cultural savvy. The songs, the stories, the games, the rituals, […]
What if your child doesn’t say thank you?
A friend came to stay with us and brought gifts for our children–two really cool, powerful flashlights. The boys loved them, but they didn’t say thank you. They rarely do, and that’s ok for us, but sometimes it rankles people. This is all our fault; we’ve never told them to say thank you when receiving […]
Teaching family values by teasing a child
The San Bushmen, our oldest ancestors, value equality and generosity. When a young hunter returns to the village with prey, he might be proud of his skills and magnaminity. He should know better. The elders immediately tease him. They laugh at the size of his catch. And they poke loving fun until they’ve mellowed his […]