Stella, Maya and Mari

Stella, Maya and Mari
these were my students yesterday
they gave me such hope!

i teach skiing on the weekends
one of my priviledges is to teach little children, i just adore this, as they come up with the most amazing things to say!

Stella asked me if i was "pooor"...if i didn't have $ to buy food or a house to live in"? she asked (not sure why, perhaps it was because we didn't have time for hot chocolate during their private lesson), she said she didn't know why but she wished i was "pooor" she pronounced it like a little southern girl
"cause then she said you could find a house and have some food...and feel good"....her reasoning was astounding, it's all relative what we have, what we feel we lack

i felt guided in my search for meaning this weekend...as Stella's comments somewhat
paralleled Father Ed's sermon from the previous evening, he was visiting St. Mary's church in Collingwood; he's stationed at the Good Sheppard Ministries in Toronto where he helps to counsel people from all walks of life in their darkest and direst moments, the stories he told were heart-wrenching, and yet hopeful too
People who sometimes appear to us "have it all" in a material or achievement sense may in fact be quite empty in a soulful way....
and yet, despite whatever we lack we are all blessed in different ways, even in our times of trial we are being guided to a higher destination...i believe so

Maya, Stella's sister had a hard time of it yesterday, her 3 1/2 year old sister seemed somehow more insulated, more courageous, less likely to take any "guff" from anyone...whilst Stella was busy taking off her skiis and making snow angels laughing at me as i chased her down the hill, Maya was being picked-on by some nasty boys...(how nasty boys can be, i recall, i know it still)...i told her to let it roll like "water off a duck's back", not to let that hurt her

Mari, my last student, a challenged child, but happy in her own world...she, from our perspective will have a harder time in our world, her pace slower, her thoughts insular....yet perhaps her world is more beautiful than Maya's who at times will suffer greatly having allowed the thoughts and feelings of those emotionally inferior to impact her world
and sadly of the three it was Maya who reminded me most of myself...and it was Stella i most admired

three little girls .....such a treasure, they taught me so much yesterday!
thank you!