I Am Enough

Happy Friday everyone!  Today we have a lovely guest post from a Desert Song teacher, Jen.  Jen teaches the Kids' and Teens' class, and also the once a month free kids' class at Whole Foods Camelback.  She is truly an inspiring teacher on and off the mat and works with children in her personal and professional life.  Check out her post below . . .

Messages we send our kids . . .

So, I am a mom in lots of different ways - as we each are. It has only taken me several decades on this planet and help from my Teacher to embrace this idea.  I do not have biological children of my own, but I am blessed to be part of children's lives in all sorts of incarnations.  My training as a social worker and my passion for giving kids a chance in life led me to consider what may hopefully be an ongoing topic here.  What are the messages we send our kids?

Part of my work in the world is to look at perspectives and to bring in diverse ones whenever possible.  So, I think the topic of what messages we send kids could be a really insightful one and give us food for thought.  Let me know your thoughts (in the comments below) and if it sounds interesting enough to continue exploring.  

Messages we send our kids . . . 

Speaking really personally here, as in a huge part of my personal and spiritual work, I have spent 45+ years really trying to intimately get to know this concept:  I AM ENOUGH.

I found the literal expression of this concept a few weekends ago at one of my favorite local shops, Purple Lizard Boutique, in downtown Phoenix.  Below I have included a photo of the print that I purchased while I was there.  If I think pie-in-the-sky ideas and could have anything I wanted . . . I would wish for EVERY child of the universe to learn and embrace this truth.  

Now I have a little story to accompany this concept that really is yet another reminder of the simple work we each can do to help support a child towards realizing they are absolutely enough. I work at an elementary school as a social worker and over 95% of our students meet the federal poverty guidelines.  This week has been all about honoring the life and books of Dr. Seuss, and each day we had a different theme. One day was matching sock day, another was twin day, and on this day - hat day - a little third grader excitedly ran up to me saying, "Ms. White - look at my hat!"  It was a magnificent 'hat' consisting of two, round velveteen ears, sparkly sequins and was hot pink and black with a fuchsia bow. She further exclaimed, "Yeah, we went to the rich people's mall and I got this hat."  WHOA. STOP. WHAT DID SHE JUST SAY?  I didn't know there were "rich people malls" or "poor people malls?" This is the point where I stepped into a Tweety and Sylvester cartoon and I just got thunked over the head with a bat, and a bump slowly sprouted up between my ears!  I must say, I have those moments a lot more often than I will admit, AND I knew this was such a moment of poignancy, of possibility; and a moment to validate her experience. To share that SHE, however she shows up in this world, IS ENOUGH. 

So, I took this little girl and her Minnie Mouse ears (she had been to the Disney Store and spoke about it as if it had been some magical, far-off country instead of just Scottsdale), and hugged her and exclaimed, "Those are the most beautiful ears in the whole world, but they pale in comparison to the awesome girl wearing them!"  

This story could go a million different ways, and it is my hope that it sparks some experience in you where you can pause, remember, or recognize in yourself and in others that I AM ENOUGH. We must send this message to all the kids in our lives.  We are each, enough.

Happy weekend everyone!

In kindness,

Jen