Around the corner, at Sanderlin, I get the call that we have a decent
laundry list of projects to do. " They want us to build a compost,
spread coffee grounds all over the garden, plant some pineapple tops and
if there's any extra time..."
That class ran over, my
partner and I jumbled our plans, and his phone planned a 10 minute labor
strike as my first trip to Eckerd became a mission to find his expertly
hidden dorm.
An hour later, our timeline was 20
minutes to create a compost bin out of palates and get pineapple tops in
the ground. The time crunch translated itself into clarity of mind,
which in turn zipped a few screws. We were two screws from completion,
when a storm of cuteness was gently corralled into the garden.
The next
twenty minutes flashed by. When I asked how many of them had gardens at
home 70% of the class shot their hands up. The kids knew a lot too; But
it wasn't that they knew about bugs and butterflies and what plants
were what that impressed me most. What impressed me most was their
garden demeanor. They stroked the leaves gently, loved touching the
earth, and seemed really compassionate with each other. They were asking
lots of questions, and even when the answers were more complex than
they could grasp I could see a deeper understanding settling
subconsciously.
Then just as quickly as they appeared,
the whole class ambled off to their next adventure and we were left with
our pineapple tops and palates. I thought of something I'd heard a few
days before, "We should stop teaching children and start learning from
them. "
 |
| Digging deep for sedge roots |
 |
| Buddies |
 |
| Our compost pile is no Walden, but it's a start |
.
As I began reading this post to my family, I almost could not get through it. The emotion I felt made my voice weak and waver as I fought back the tears of gratitude. I am so deeply touched by all the volunteers from Eckerd share with our students. Thank you for everything you do, our children will never forget the time spent at the Peace Patch.
ReplyDelete