Life Lessons from my Granddaughter
March 25, 2020
Today is about the lessons I’ve learned from a true spiritual teacher. From this teacher I have learned about adaptation, happiness in challenging times, seeing the bigger picture and silver lining, acceptance, the present moment, understanding, problem-solving, connection, having fun, meditative breathing and loving Mother Earth. Are you wondering how you can connect to a teacher like this? Who is this sage; so full of wisdom and love and lessons?
Her name is Wilder Pauline Patch and she is our 3 year old granddaughter ! Like all of us, her life changed overnight. She used to go to school every day and spend all day with loving teachers and best friends. She used to have regular play dates. She used to go out to restaurants regularly. She used to have her Nanny and Poppy (us) pick her up from school once a week and have an afternoon and dinner together. And now...none of this is happening. And yet...in spite of this, I have learned the following lessons from her on how to traverse this new world.
Acceptance of things we can’t change- When talking to her on FaceTime she very matter-of-factly said, “We are staying home because we have germs and we don’t want other people to get sick.” That makes sense to her compassionate heart.
Adapting to a new way of being- Her teachers at school have started Zooming with the whole class for about 30 minutes in the morning; reading stories, etc. She is so excited to see her friends and talk to her best friend Oscar. This new way of being doesn’t phase her.
Creativity- She and her Aunt Ally sat and painted together the other day by FaceTiming. And today she decided that the door to the garage was a “patient,” so she used her stethoscope to check it’s heartbeat and put a band-aide on it.
Connecting and Problem-Solving- She was sad the other day and was missing us so she asked if she could FaceTime with us. We are all connecting by having regular family dinners on the phone.
Living in the Present Moment- There is nothing like a child to show you what the present moment looks like. She isn’t thinking about the past and what she used to do and she isn’t worrying about the future. She is playing and laughing and crying and yelling and running and swinging in THAT moment.
Finding happiness in the small things- Every day she finds many things to be happy about. She laughs a lot and is enthusiastic. Her Aunt Ally asked if she wanted to do ballet the next day and she said, “Yes, but maybe we can do some yoga first. She wanted to run over right then and there and lay out her dinosaur yoga mat so it was ready.
Seeing the bigger picture and silver lining- She was on a picnic with her dada yesterday and he said, “Wilder, I’m sorry you have to be home so much and not go to school.” She said, ‘That’s ok...I like spending time with you!” She saw and was focused on what she DID have and not what she didn’t.
Loving Mother Earth- She wanted to see the puzzle that we are working on at our house. We held the phone up high so she could see the whole thing. She excitedly said, “That’s the Earth!!! I live on the Earth !!!
Meditation and Yoga- At dinner one night her mama said she had been practicing her yoga breaths. We asked if she could teach us and she confidently did. It was a new breathing technique I had never seen. This is the “suggested practice,” below.
MAY WE ALL LOOK AT THIS SITUATION THROUGH A CHILD’S EYES AS OFTEN AS WE CAN.
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Today’s Suggested Practice
Hold one hand up and spread your fingers out. With your pointer finger on the other hand, begin to trace around the fingers starting with the thumb. As you trace up the finger, inhale. As you trace back down the other side; exhale. Continue this on all your fingers. Do this throughout the day when you notice yourself getting stressed or are having trouble sleeping at night.
