Talking to the Universe

I teach a wonderful 6th grade class at our UU church. It's the "Growing Up Year," where we visit different houses of worship and learn about many religions, including our own. I think it is a way not only to build tolerance of others by finding common ground and dispelling mysteries, it is also a way to pin down and put into words what it is that we believe. Quite an accomplishment for 11-12 year old kids.

Today we did a follow up class to several different field trips, and we had the kids write down what beliefs they remembered from their visits. We put signs up on the wall -- Totally, firmly agree; agree; unsure corner; hm... disagree; and totally, firmly disagree. Then we read the beliefs out loud, and we all had to move around the room to stand under the sign that matches our feeling about a belief.

Sometimes the wording of these beliefs can change where I stand. There's "I believe that prayer works," versus "Meditation gives me peace of mind." Is there a difference between prayer and meditation? One seems to be TO a deity, while the other is turned inward. However, if you believe that god, or a holy spirit, or the great life force is within all of us, then meditation can be considered prayer TO the deity within. These are some of the tricky questions the 6th graders wrestle with -- as do I.

I tend to ask the universe for a lot. It's kind of like throwing spaghetti up on the wall -- at some point something will stick. I don't know what's out there in the universe, but perhaps something holy is listening. (Not last week, though. We didn't get that snow day). And yet, when I'm talking to the "universe," I feel like I'm actually sinking deep inside of myself. That's more like a description of meditation.

There's also that whole "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" way of prayer/meditation. If you want something in your life, imagine it is already there. So I spend lots of time imagining (in a background sort of way, while I'm getting on with daily life) that diabetes has been cured. That scientists have found the key to autoimmune diseases. That life got a little easier. It calms me down. Is it "working?" I don't know. Maybe it will, but I won't know in my lifetime. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to see this part of my imagination come to life. Then I'll *really* have a great lesson to bring to class! How I'd love to stand under that "Firmly, Totally Agree" sign when it comes to the power of prayer!

These kids I teach -- they are wonderful. So expressive, full of wonder, and so very intelligent. They made me think about all this STUFF (as they say) today, as they do each week. So today, in addition to asking the universe for so many things, I'd like to thank it for sending me this particular group of wonderful kids. Thanks for my co-teacher, who makes me laugh. Thanks for this wonderful UU community, which feels like home.

Squeak, Squeak

I have some wicked laryngitis going on. I taught 4 classes today, mostly silent! It's amazing how sweet and helpful the little kindergarteners were when they realized they had to be totally silent if they wanted to hear what I had to say!

The fourth graders thought it was hysterically funny.

I could float away on the amount of lemon/honey tea I've been drinking. I don't think it is actually helping my throat any. Only time & silence will do that!

The good news is that we're finally allowed to sleep through the night again. Last night was (supposedly) the last night of 3 a.m. blood sugar testing for a while. Until the next change.

Onward and upward!

Flying Time

Sure, I'm having fun. That's why the time is flying so quickly that I hardly have a moment to post. Can't even imagine doing one of those posting-daily-for-a-month things now. I guess I'm still adjusting to the full-time work schedule, but it's all good.

My crowning achievement last week was when all the kids in the kindergarten class (14 boys!!!) were sitting quietly at their computers, clicking away at their rhyming activity. It was quiet. I called their homeroom teacher over so she could witness... "LOOK WHAT I HAVE ACCOMPLISHED!!!" It was like when Tom Hanks made fire in the movie Castaway.

The other big news in my life is that I bought a new vacuum. That might not seem like much to you, but my vacuum has been giving a half-hearted performance for a while and my house looked like crap, so this one makes me smile. It's a Dyson, and I do believe it could suck the paint off the walls (look out, Bumble the hamster!). Even the kids can't wait to get their hands on it because it is so cool.

Still on track to get our pump. We finalized the order today, and we're just waiting for the letter of medical necessity from the doctor. OH THESE THINGS TAKE TIME. Breathe in breathe out.

We're about to sit down for the premier of Heroes. Daniel has been counting down for weeks now! I'd love that flying superpower... but actually, I guess I'd prefer the healing one. For everyone with diabetes.