The touchstones theme in June is TRANSCENDENCE
Inspiration for UU parents:
How do we teach transcendence to our children? Maren Schmidt says, “The virtue of transcendence helps us create connections to everything in the universe. These connections in turn help us create meaning and understanding in our lives.”
Read more about transcendence and children on Maren’s blog.
A story to read together this week:
Mussa and Najib is story about two friends who journey across the desert. During an argument one of the friends slaps the other in anger. The friend who had been slapped writes in the sand, “Today my best friend slapped me.” The wind quickly blows the words away. Later the friend who had slapped the other saves him from drowning. This time the man carves in stone, “Today my best friend saved me.” This story to teaches about forgiveness, and the value in letting go of past hurts and focusing on the kindnesses others have done us.
Extend the topic together:
Imagination as Transcendence ideas from touchstones journal Transcendence June 2019.
Children experience transcendence in concrete ways through play, through stories, and through movies. Pulaski (1973) theorized about the transcendence index, writing that it was based on “the number of imaginary items supplied by the child as opposed to what was already supplied in a given …situation.”A way to use imagination with your children is to have them help you make up a story. Stef Lewandowski created the following when he began making up stories with his children: “Once upon a time there was a _____ who lived in a ______. Every day she/he ______ and everyone was happy. One day _____ happened, so_______. Our hero had to _______ and as a result _______. Everyone was happy again. Yay she/he!” Story prompts can be found here but you can create your own and write them on strips of paper and put them in a jar to pull out and make up a story. Make notes about the story you make up and use them to expand on that story at another time.
Let me know if I can be supportive to you in any other way! I am here for you.
All my best with many blessings,
Amy