Appreciating the fullness of living, I give thanks for all of the seasons, all the elements, all of the cares and blessings of beloved friends and teachers in all forms and pathways.
Beginning teachers build confidence through primary skills and discipline, rules and regulations of consensus, general timeless basics honed through all cultures, for humans, being and doing.
Middle teachers begin to guide more wholesomely in subject matter, details, unique focus, and concentration, a deepening of particular interests.
And then eventually, hopefully, you’re “holding hands” with people also endeavoring to grow their lives in the garden of well-being, which aligns greatly with helping ourselves as well as countless others.
Teachers at higher levels really enable us to “set sail,” recognizing our strengths, interests, traits, and unique abilities. Eventually to go in is to go out, this great magical paradox of breathing out and breathing in, the swinging door of interchange, connecting with all. It’s all interwoven and “love rules without rules.” (Dove’s chocolate wrapper!) It is so tempting to want to believe you have found THE answer if you stay open.
The openness engages the “IDK,” the “I don’t know,” which is the full base of allowing all to play out. The fullness of Autumn allows a seasonal’re-treat’ of observing, allowing, accepting the wonder of the full dance of all, the Zen person pondering on a cushion, the Catholic kneeling at a mass, along with the NFL football player kneeling before the National Anthem in a field (to Hawaiians, all of the land is the precious and sacred temple}, the Hula and Tara dancers spinning wishes of birthing prosperity and well-being, and then, the daily conversations of what is, wherever one is … in one’s life.
Abiding with ‘not knowing’ and uncertainty, my mother used to coach: “This too shall pass,” and the serenity prayer, that if you can be instrumental in wise, and fluid change, ACT; otherwise, observe, stay out of it and surrender to the outcome.
Life is like a movie and the themes are only as good and engaging as the actors and roles portrayed. We all have choice and response — ability, with endless attraction, distraction and ‘agendas’ from all sides! We do have great choice in awareness and we can all be concerned citizens at the base, applying our will and wise ways to better traits to bring benefit to all, for all. It is easy to get attention in any classroom by causing trouble.
It is much more difficult to sustain patience, wisdom and endurance through varied arenas, while maintaining a wholesome attitude, perhaps with no attention and reward at all! Countless women offer silently with grace everywhere.
So I’m continually grateful for good friends and well-being with “Mikono Mingi,” a Swahili saying that “many hands make work light.”
In this season of giving thanks, my great wish is that all have fullness of being, with good harvest and joy of appreciation for food, shelter, water to drink and bathe, and increasing overall awareness for the gifts we receive daily from wherever, whomever they come from, remaining open to simple wonder.
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Leonora Orr is an artist, educator and gardener on Kauai.
