Monday, January 2, 2012

A children's garden made by children and a new years ritual.

As I sit here in the airport with a six hour lay over waiting for my connecting flight to Copenhagen,
I was delighted to "find" a password that allowed me free internet connection.
The little garden below is one that Keenan and Kaleena have been working on for a few days now, 
and when I say working I mean working.
It is funny and lovely to observe how much they still imitate the work they see around them, and how much pleasure goes into their creations, they really take it very seriously.
Kaleena claimed this particular spot as hers in the first days living on the land. 
It is a spot that gets a little morning sun but is otherwise shaded, 
and it can be seen from the kitchen window.
The only help they received was having Miguel bring the biggest trunk for the table, 
everything else they have done and they are still working on it.
Planting flowers and decorating with rocks and broken tiles that they found yesterday
is still in progress.
I am looking forward to see how it will look when I return. 









For years now we have been floating little lights on New Years eve with wishes for the coming year.
The children look forward to it, and while we have been doing it for many years,
 it is a little different each year. 
The first year we floated little walnut shells with birthday candles in the pond that
 Miguel had built in our garden in Miami.
In North Carolina we sent our little lights floating in a big bowl as we had no other water close enough.
In the Dominican Republic we floated the lights in their big pond, back in Asheville
in my sisters creek in her back yard and this year we walked through the dark woods to the cenote
with our little lights already lighted, 
sitting on little pieces of coconut shells and set them afloat with our wishes.
It was lovely, so quiet and peaceful (besides the constant chattering of Keenan)
Both Keenan and Kaleena were sure that we were all wishing for the same thing this year,
and while they were both concerned that our wishes might not come true
if we talked about it out loud, we assured them that it is 
the intention behind the wishes that matters most.
So this year we said a joint wish out loud and kept a moment of silence after.
It was beautiful and fitting, and is a lovely tradition that we all enjoy deeply.







~Blessings~

7 comments:

  1. The solemn faces, considering, conferring. The children themselves are bright spots of color amidst the green and gray and pale paths. They glow like the lights on the water. Wishes spoken have, I believe, more chance of finding their way to the surface. Good flying, dear C. Good flying.

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  2. It's sweet, the boys have theirs to and spend all day in it with their huge picks, digging holes, and planting different plants and trees. They have all their little seedlings and their own little veggie garden. and yes hours and hours of hard work.. beautiful to see little nature babies. I hope your dad is well. Have a good flight. Write soon.

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  3. what a beautiful way to welcome in the new year! i think we will adopt this ritual as the traditional american ones have never seemed to 'fit' us.

    thank you for sharing...

    i hope that your father's health improves, although i am sure it will once you arrive. love heals...

    blessings, jessi

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  4. The Children are Growing along with this project that has been undertaken!
    Wild to "watch" this process. I am also very grateful to have been so present through out it all.
    You did not say what the unified wish was ?
    I am sure it a wish we all hold dear in our heart of hearts.
    We are One.
    I Love You,
    Sharyn

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  5. We are reading Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House in the Big Woods right now -- your children's garden space so echos the play space that Laura and sister Mary made. I enjoy your posts and hope your time away is rich!
    ~ Amy in Fargo

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  6. I LOVE U AND MISS U SOOOOOOO MUCH.... =(

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