I hope everyone is doing well! My week was rather full with tutoring. We took plenty of walks, enjoying the cool weather and autumn foliage. We tapped into our creativity and partook in lots of art/craft projects. We had lots of fun, and it was rather humorous hearing their silly conversations as they created. I even got to hear them play instruments this week! They played the electric guitar and the viola, and it was lots of fun listening to them! It makes me wonder what instrument would be a good match for me. The renovation on their house is coming along rather well. It's fairly close to wrapping up (it's come quite a ways from where it started a few weeks ago). They've been super excited for all the crystals I've brought them over the virtual learning. While doing online school this week, they were asked what they wish was at the physical school building; crystals were on their list of what they wanted. That further proved that I left a positive impact on them during this unusual start of the school year. They'll be attempting a trial of going back to school next week. We'll see how it goes; I'll miss seeing them so frequently. I can't say I endorse the idea of them going back on the basis of them constantly wearing masks, having all this separation, and all the barriers that are all over the school. I understand people want things to "go back to normal," but that isn't normal. It's not even healthy.... It's not my place to tell others how to live, but I am concerned for their health and wellbeing. There's likely to be stress, psychological wounds, and trauma from such a school system. You can't be social and distant--social distancing is an oxymoron. I know all the kids want to see their friends and plenty have struggled with virtual learning, but this is not how they want to learn and socialize. Other schools have started sending kids back, and they've celebrated the return to school with picture after picture of kids wearing masks and standing in drawn boxes outside for recess. It saddens me that people are okay with treating children this way. Isolation is one of the greatest traumas for people, and that's exactly what's happening to our kids. It's important to be able to breathe, as well, but the children are being smothered with masks, restricting their access to fresh, clean air. I get that virtual learning might not be the best or "right" solution, but sending our kids back to school this way isn't the solution, either. I may not have any children of my own at this time, but I've worked with so many--I truly only wish the best for them. I hope people can come together so we can collaborate to find the solution that works out for the best interest of everyone: parents, children, and teachers.
I did some babysitting over the weekend while some parents went out to have much needed fun; while I was babysitting, I found that he had finished his 3D drawing collage. I think it looks pretty cool. If I remember correctly, it's not due for awhile, but he was super excited to work on it. These are the kind of projects I love--ones where kids/individuals are passionate about it and actually WANT to create versus being told they have to make it. I had been talking about that with the other kiddos I was helping tutor during the week, and they wished that they could have more freedom and choice in their art projects. I have no qualms against mini lessons or having criteria that demonstrate student understanding/learning, but the current art education system feels way too restrictive for my tastes. I don't see why it's so "crazy" to let students have more choice in what they do; it doesn't have to be complete choice. You could set a topic or theme or media, such as collage, but it would be much more interesting to see what the students create, tapping into their imagination and ingenuity, rather than seeing the cookie cutter type art that is ever prominent in the art classroom. The students would be much more invested if they had more creative say.
Fall is officially here, and fluffy cat has been extra snuggly this week (thanks to the cooler weather). She's enjoyed hanging out by the fire and cuddling with me in bed (which makes it a bit difficult to want to get out of bed in the morning). She's too cute and fluffy and soft~
With all the energies going on lately I've tried to make sure I don't push myself too hard (continuously pushing onward was something that I had the tendency of doing in the past). Growing up, people tended to place all this importance on doing your best, working hard, getting good grades/a good job, powering through the tough times, etc.; there wasn't ever really any emphasis placed on enjoying life and taking care of yourself--adults in my life tended to have this philosophy of work/life being hard word, grit, and sacrifice. Fun and relaxation didn't particularly enter the equation. Granted, things like hard work, grit, perseverance, determination, etc. aren't bad, but that doesn't mean we should merely soldier on, blindly following expectations. Life is meant to be enjoyed. Life is meant to be experienced to the fullest so we can learn about the world and ourselves. In order to do so, there are times where you need to stop, take a moment, rest, and relax. It isn't wrong to do what you enjoy (although, it shouldn't be at the purposeful harm or expense of others). Others in my life haven't particularly seen value in anime (excluding my friends like April and Corliss); watching anime probably seems like a "waste of time" to such people, but I really do enjoy it. There are so many different experiences, characters, and worlds to explore. The story telling, character growth, and animation can be breathtaking and soul-moving. It provides an abundance of viewpoints and perspectives to consider. I don't agree with all of them, but I can come to gain an understanding of why one might feel or act a certain way. Plus, anime can be downright gut-wrenchingly hilarious. This week I decided to check out No Game No Life as well as Akashic Records. They emphasized the importance of enjoying life (it could be viewed as one big game) and not letting others diminish your dreams. Just because others can't see your perspective doesn't devalue them. Others don't get to determine the merit, value, and worth of your dreams, goals, or life. It's up to you to decide. Even if others scoff at it, there are those who will support you and see your true worth. Don't buy into the stories they weave, belittling your aspirations. If you feel passionate about it, follow where it leads you; it's certain to be worthwhile.
Mercury went into retrograde this week. Has anyone experienced any impact from it? Here's some food for thought on it (and it seems pretty relevant to what I've been experiencing fairly recently):
We also had the Libra new moon this week. Here's some info about it and a guided meditation if you'd like to do one:
The energies and developments recently have been rather... interesting as of late. Lots of unexpected occurrences. Amanda Ellis discusses this in her recent video, and it resonates quite a bit with what I've been going through and working through.
2020 has certainly stirred the pot. It feels like a turning point of no return. No matter how much people may want to go back to "normal" (which would be returning to how things used to be), there's no going back. Such a desire likely stems from wanting to go back to the known. Sure, there's comfort in the known, but no growth can come from remaining constantly in one's comfort zone. 2020 has provided amble time to slow down, think, and reflect. We're not the people we used to be. We've outgrown the old. We can't just go back "to the way things used to be" because our awareness has expanded. We can't pretend any more. Things that went unrecognized before can't be ignored. More and more, people are noticing that which does not add up or make sense. It's been a rather intense year of introspection and growth, but new cannot grow from stagnant sameness. Hitting pause prevents growth. 2020 isn't over yet, and more turbulence may still appear. However, we're the strongest we've ever been, and we grow stronger every day. Some experiences may be painful, but they illuminate what is precious and provide insightful learning opportunities. We'll never emerge as beautiful butterflies if we remain snuggled in our cozy chrysalis. That's what I feel 2020 has been all about: metamorphosis. To become a butterfly the caterpillar has to shed its old life, breakdown its old way of being, and reconstruct itself completely in order to complete its transformation. It may not be easy. It definitely won't be comfortable. But it's the only way to finally soar through the sky and leave behind the restraints of being land-confined. We're capable of so much more than we often give ourselves credit for. Maybe it's because we're afraid of what we could actually accomplish. It's not wrong to live our best lives, though. In order to do so we need to continue to move forward, one step at a time. Standing still leads to opportunities passing us by, which can then lead to regret. Find what makes you happy. Find what's precious to you. Take that step forward, even if your confidence is a bit shaky. Live the life you find worthwhile, and savor the blessings and fun that comes with it. I'm certain that's why we all came here. Stay well. Stay healthy. Stay blessed. Love and light, everyone~
Kindness works wonders. Some food for thought from Spirit Science:
Here's some food for thought from Ralph Smart:
Food for thought:
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