[Photo Credit: https://unsplash.com/photos/br-Xdb9KE0Q]
This week we had the “Starfish” Celebration of Service. This represents the "Demonstration" phase of Service and is an opportunity for the children to reflect on what they have achieved collectively and to permit themselves a pat on the back.
When I think back to the education around "charity" that I received as a boy, it was never very far removed from guilt. And never very educational either, at least not what I learned at school. I managed to learn anything I knew about sustained help and empowerment from my parents and especially from my older brother.
When we speak to the kids here about the need to help people, animals, the environment we always try to emphasise the important message that feeling concerned about it must not spill over into feeling guilty. Is it your fault? No. Can you do something to help? Yes. It's an important message to impart, especially to younger kids because some of them tend to accept the entire weight of the world's struggles onto their shoulders and fret and worry that the world is such a terrible place.
If you need a story to help you with that message, we named this celebration after the famous Starfish story, which is well worn and a little twee but very accessible to young children. There is a lot they can achieve and while they can't change the world, they can change how the world appears to individuals, one at a time.
Have a restful weekend,
Brian
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