FEBRUARY 9, 2006
I
received a wonderful letter from Caroline Alford who is about 8 years of age. Her mom and dad are good friends and they are constantly raising important issues at their dining room table. It is important to begin discussions with our children, at a very early age, of the real challenges they face in our world today. Decision making abilities are fostered by parents who let their children make their own minds up about
life's perplexing issues at an early age, often during dinner time. Caroline had apparently been listening when mom and dad talked about the environment, health and what they could do to make a difference. Here is what my good friend wrote for her class essay.
I'm Ernie. I'm five years old. I have a wife named Lola. I have about 2 million kids. I live in CA. I live in a flower garden on a farm. My favorite color is green. I'm here to teach people NOT to use pesticides. Now the reason my favorite color is green is because of all the green all over the garden. Now please don't use pesticides because you might kill me! You are hurting the environment and yourself! When you go out into the grass barefooted after its been sprayed with pesticides and then come in the house and walk all over then touch your feet with you hand and then eat, you are poisoning yourself. Please don't use pesticides. Thank You!"
If we let nature speak to us, and we truly listen, we can learn a great deal. When we allow the young among us to be our teacher we amplify another learning center to often discounted and dismissed. Listening to nature and children is one sure way to gain a measure of enlightenment in this world of entertainment.
Thanks Caroline for sharing with me and all our readers.
--Peter