I have just completed my fifth and final week of the Montessori Adolescent training, an intense and packed experience. I had been wondering for a while now what I would write about for these last few weeks. All I could see was that I had sat and listened to lectures all day every day and spent most of my evenings editing those lectures, and most of my weekends writing essays. Not much there I thought.
Today was the last day for the group together. We began the day with a spontaneous and raucous round of "I had the time of my life" in full male-female duet. I looked around at the room full of 60 adults, from all over the world, that I had just shared 5 weeks with, living, working, eating, learning, experiencing with. I realized what this had been for me.
It's about people.
It's about the power of seeing someone, looking into them and recognizing the self, the unique beauty that exists there, whether you are spending 5 weeks with them, 5 hours, or 5 years. The time is not the critical point, the point is being a part of someone's life (and letting them into yours). It is about the power that comes from embracing each experience, each new connection for what it is. It is about meeting some fellow wanderer on this crazy planet and taking their hand, saying, "I hear you." It is about listening, hearing what someone else is saying, without ego, without agenda. It is about being heard.
It is about going to a vineyard in Ohio on a Wednesday afternoon and playing cornhole ;)
I have always carried with me the fear of losing people who I love, but the truth is that the possession is the illusion. You can't nail love down. The idea of permanence is what we use to soothe that terrible risk that we take each time we look into the eyes of another human and decide to let them in.
This summer has been about people, about all those crazy, smart, impassioned people who are willing to dream, willing to devote their lives to the service of others, willing to spend 5 sweaty, intense, difficult, expensive weeks in Cleveland, Ohio for the sake of this passion.
All of you, this summer, I thank you. You have brought light and love and joy into my life. I will carry that with me as I travel on.
About Me
- Angela
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Welcome! I store all my random thoughts, ideas and experiences here for those who are interested or curious about my various life adventures. I love it that you are reading, and it inspires me to keep writing!
You're so right! And see, you're instinctively making the right decisions to go places, or do things that help you go forward!
ReplyDeleteThanks. I am trying ;) But it is hard work right now and far from foolproof. I guess that is what we all do as we stumble through life though. We trip and fall, then bandage our wounds, brush ourselves off and try again!
DeleteGood to hear from you, hope you are well!