ANGELS

          My belief that a child is born an Angel is a cornerstone of my reality. A newborn, an Angel, welcomed and appreciated in an environment of love and goodness, will become a loving human being. Like a sponge they will absorb their surroundings and create their cornerstone for a life of happiness or not.

Sometimes Angels lose their wings. Stories are ways to let wingless Angels know the truth . . . stories of truths that are too difficult to perceive or reflect on by one’s self.

My first Angel story is about a young girl who worshiped her Father. He was her fairy-tale prince and she was his princess. She imagined him like a God. There was nothing he could not do. His gifts were plentiful. Joy surrounded her . . . until . . . one day her happiness disappeared. She was eight years old.

Evie no longer danced and sang her fairy tale songs; no longer dreamed of being a beauty queen or a movie star, or marrying her daddy; no longer was she daddy’s girl. Evie’s heart and soul cracked like the neck of a baby bird fallen from its nest.

PROBLEMS AND TROUBLES

      I've had some technical problems getting started with blogging. Finally called my son for help. He's a whiz with computers. Expressing what is on my mind concerning my passion for Montessori education, has taken longer . . . like two years.
      Everyone, who has read my book, Montessori, Living the Good Life, knows of the blessings of Montessori experiences for family life. Montessori life in the home gives a family the greatest opportunity for happiness, peace, joy and love.
     But what happens when a family has problems . . . financial troubles that become a greater burden than their family life, their joy of life can handle? What happens when happiness is lost to despair and darkness? What happens when evil enters in?
     Evie's Secret, an historical novel, written during the depression of the thirties, answers these questions. Evie has a secret that reveals the joy and darkness of life.


Evie's Secret is not yet completed. My intention is to share chapters in my blog. Comments are encouraged.

ANXIOUS

I’m packing boxes of treasures and routine comforts. Our beds and books are gone. Soon we’ll be stuffing our bathroom and kitchen belongings in more containers. The sound of the ripping tape is getting on my nerves. How long will it be before we connect with our attachments again? Maybe two weeks? Exciting? An adventure? At this stage, it feels like an approaching tornado.

Maria Montessori tells a story of a young mother concerned for her crying child who, for apparently no reason, could not be consoled. She explains how young children have a sensitive time when they need their environment to have consistency. The child cried because the mother had disturbed the order of his surroundings by putting her coat in a different place than usual. This sensitive period for order usually happens around the age of two.

I’m feeling like a two-year old. Maybe it will help if I cry.

Please read my book, Montessori—Living the Good Life. I’m blogging on my website: www.montessoritheory.com

CHANGE

CHANGE

I’m moving.This weekend we had a moving sale, or garage sale as is often called. The difference is that with a moving sale more pieces of history are released into the hands of others looking for treasures.

For several weeks I have been cleaning out closets, dark deep holes of space behind more spaces of unused, of once long ago meaningful belongings, taking hours and hours of sorting and discerning—what to keep and what to let ago, reminiscing over each picture, each prize and its day of glory. Emotionally, it was exhausting. I’m thankful for the experiences of joyfulness, yet very happy the days are done with. I’m happy to move on and especially thankful for the friends and family who were there for me.

The experience was transforming. Letting go of my gems meant a letting go of a pastime, a piece of life given away, maybe to be forgotten forever; a time for tears and a bit of sadness. Nevertheless, as the days passed I grew accustomed to the process and began to think about how another will appreciate the goods for less than retail prices. I began to look forward to the sale and feel joy in the giving. A change was happening. I became excited waiting for the days of the sale.

When I experience myself going through changes like this, I can’t help but to relate the time to the development of the young child. Thinking about the young child is a continuing pastime and passion for me.

The conceived infant is on a pathway of constant change, continually letting go of his history, of his flesh as he changes and develops daily, minute by minute into a new being reaching out toward the goal of someday being an adult. How desperately the growing child, the young teenager, must need a friend who is there for them.

Please read my book, Montessori—Living the Good Life. I’m blogging on my website: www.montessoritheory.com

BEAUTIFUL

I remember the exciting time when my first child was born and the nurse brought him to my bedside. He was beautiful—no matter that his head was cone shaped and his eyes crossed. He was the most beautiful sight in the whole world to me that first morning.

Why is it that all babies are beautiful? No matter bald or cone-shaped heads, or different colors or features. To a mother and to a father, the child is beautiful. You hear the phrase, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” but I think there is more to it than that.

The child is the incarnation of its parents. That is, the child gives bodily form to his parents. The child is the flesh of the parent’s love for each other. Each one giving their love to the other bares flesh, another human being. This is truly a miracle.

Much to think about this week—I best close for now.

Please read my book, Montessori—Living the Good Life. I’m blogging on my website: www.montessoritheory.com

GRADUATION

My oldest grandson graduates this week. He played the Postlude on the piano for his classes’ Baccalaureate service the night before last. You could hear a pin drop before he was finished—the music was that moving. He has been fortunate to have a loving environment with collaborative parents who understood his moods and allowed him his moments of joy and peace.

Maren Schmidt’s kids’ newsletter, www.kidstalknews.com has a special conversation on Experiencing the Moment with an enlightening understanding of the child’s realization of joy and goodness.

Music is a blessed media to escape the troubled world and find peace in the truth of beautiful sounds. I’m pleased to know my grandson will have his gift of music to share and will continue to create a life of his own, and I'm proud of his courage and dedication to his talent and willingness to listen to his own spirit.

Please read my book, Montessori—Living the Good Life. I’m blogging on my website: www.montessoritheory.com

BAPTISM

Through culture and traditions, the adult works to prepare different environments for the child working to become the adult. One of the environments the adult prepares for the young child is through the initiation of baptism where the child learns to be one with the Holy Spirit. Through the enlightened Word, the adult works to share their bread, their grace, with their child.

The child, of course, comes to share his life that is already grace-filled, already God-given; so we sing, Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. I wonder sometimes, who is the lamb—the child or the adult?

Peace can happen, and will happen, if the adult can see, can be aware, can collaborate, with the grace of the child, and work toward an environment of love.

Maria Montessori's life work was for peace in our world. She understood the potential peace, joy, and hope the newborn, the young child brings. Through collaboration with the child she discovered ways to turn on the lights for parents and educators. Living the life of the Holy Spirit helps a great deal

Please read my book, Montessori—Living the Good Life. I’m blogging on my website: www.montessoritheory.com