Dear UU Parents and Guardians
I'd love for you to join us for our weekly offerings: ***Note: Some of these links have changed as there are now required passwords for safety*** Sunday 11am Sunday School 30 Min Program geared towards K-5 but open to all ages Email me for the link Middle and HS Zoom Monday nights 6pm: Email me for the link Parent and Guardian Chat: The chance for parents and guardians to just get together and Every other Thursday 8pm and every other Wednesday noon This Wednesday the 6th at noon Link: https://zoom.us/j/474526337 Password: lovemykids Next Thursday the 14th at 8pm Link: https://zoom.us/j/866583131 Password: lovemykids New Youtube links for this week! Story with Ms Alexa: https://youtu.be/3B6G3Bi8Xbs Story with Miss Heather: https://youtu.be/74D4G84pEkQ Music with Miss Molly: https://youtu.be/pKFY6E46-kY Weekly Message for Parents and Guardians Theme this week: Compassion Chelsea's Meditation: https://youtu.be/qMZYQd8Bjiw The meditation lessons which I am doing are geared towards K-5th graders, but everyone is welcome to them. The theme for my lesson this week was: Compassion Mira and the Worm The other night, I was getting my 3 year old daughter, Mira, down for bed. I THOUGHT she was close to falling asleep, but then I heard her start to cry. When I asked what was going on, she told me that she was sad because of the worm. Earlier in the day, she had found a worm, and before we went inside, I had asked her to put the worm back in the dirt so that it could find its home and have food to eat. She admitted to me that she had put the worm on a chair, not back in the dirt. She was so upset because she thought that the worm might not find their home or food. I decided in that moment to go outside with a flashlight, find the worm, and put it back in the dirt. She was much happier. This was a life lesson. Some things can wait, some cannot. Every living thing matters. We can have compassion for even the smallest of creatures, and treat them with dignity. In this moment, I was able to inadvertently teach her about both our first Unitarian Universalist principle (We believe that every person (creature) has worth and dignity) and also our 7th principle (We believe in the interconnection of all life). Phrases you (or children) can use during meditation that address compassion: May you be free from suffering May you be free from pain and sorrow May you be held in compassion May you be at peace Words by Sumi Loundon Kim "Much of our harmful behavior comes from such disconnect, carelessness, and busyness. We wish for others to treat us thoughtfully, yet if we go about our lives carelessly, eventually we will reap what we sow. Therefore, when we act with integrity and take care not to heedlessly dispense with life, we protect our own well-being. Compassion is our heart's ability to resonate with and open to the suffering of others. Compassion also guides us to live in a way that causes the least harm to ourselves and others. When we become sensitive to the pain of others, and we see what kinds of speech and actions create that suffering, then in a very simple way we lose the desire to hurt others, even when it would give us short term pleasure. Compassion is one of the most natural ways to lead us to live by the highest standards of non harming. (During meditation) Depending on the person you're sending compassion to, you may need to adjust the phrasing. For example, if someone's pain cannot be changed, say, "May you be in comfort," or "May you be at ease during this difficult time." Begin with someone who is in clear difficulty and for whom it's easy to connect with(in other words, not your difficult person). Spend some time understanding this situation and cultivating the compassionate heart. Then use the same progression as in metta meditation, returning to yourself, or a benefactor, then a friend, a neutral person, a difficult person, and all beings. If you feel overwhelmed by your own or others' suffering, then shift to practicing compassion for yourself. When you feel settled, return back to the progression . Allow your heart to soften and relax. Toward the end of the meditation, let go of the phrases and sit quietly, noticing how you are at the moment" Questions for you as a parent/guardian this week: 1. In what ways can thoughts themselves be internally harmful? 2. What identifiable ways do you intentionally or unintentionally cause harm? How would you like to change that? 3. How do you talk to your children about not harming others or making amends when harm has been done? This social distancing stuff is HARD. I know many of us are losing patience quickly. It's okay to admit when we are wrong. It's okay to tell our children that we made a mistake, that we'd like a do-over, that we know we can all do better. It's okay to start the day in one way, and end it on a different note. Our children are constantly learning from us. If we admit mistakes, they will also learn that it's okay to admit mistakes. If we apologize, if we make better choices, if we ask forgiveness, they learn all of those positive ways of being as well. Be gentle with yourselves this week. I am grateful for you.
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AuthorChelsea Krafka is the Director of Religious Growth for the Unitarian Church of Lincoln. Archives
August 2021
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