In these summer days and nights my focus is generally more outward than inward, which means my mind isn't much occupied with what I want to say on my blogs! So my apologies if posts are somewhat sporadic for a few weeks.
For the children, though, summer means more sun and more connection with nature. This is kind of my theme today. To begin, here is a simple verse that children can echo:
The sun is in my heart
It warms me with its power,
And wakens light and love
In bird and beast and flower.
What very great blessings we find in sunlight. But we also have to beware of it and take care that children don't get burned. This means limiting their exposure from mid-morning to mid-afternoon. As I suggested before, Dr. Hauschka sunscreen for children is good to use. However, all sunscreen inhibits skin function so remember to wash it off after use.
Did my children ever get sunburned? Yes, they did. When Ben went out for the day with friends he came back with reddened skin, although his hat had protected his face. Luckily I had some Weleda Combudoron lotion (for burns) on hand. I ran a deep bath, added the whole bottle, and let him soak for twenty minutes.
And now to Mother Earth.
Soon it will be Cheryl's birthday. One of the things I'm planning to do with the boys is plant radishes to give her as a present. Yes, she likes them. We'll prepare a small patch about two weeks before, and then plant the seeds. While doing so, we'll acknowledge the earth by saying this simple verse:
Mother Earth, Mother Earth,
Take our seeds and give them birth.
These verses are helpful for small children, especially as we want to nurture and encourage awareness of the wonders of nature. Little kids have a natural affinity for the spiritual, both within and without. But they also have a natural curiosity! I won't be at all surprised if Curly-Locks digs up some seeds 'to see what's happening'. I'll be sure to plant enough, in a longish row, so that won't be a problem. Then we'll thin the radishes out at some point and the children will see the roots. But before we do that, we'll warn the plants' unseen helpers-to-their-growth to prevent them getting a shock.
