Prayer Flags

At 5 a.m. the sky was a whispered shade of pink and the world was glowing. I had the impulse to jump from bed and run outside, straight into the morning’s embrace, but my laziness won out, and I rolled over and went back to sleep. This is such a strange time for all of us. It takes an act of will and discipline to rally consciousness each day and confront whatever developments await.

On a personal level, I’m sad about the passing of my friend Greg. It has hit me so much harder than I expected. Despite his ongoing health problems and the restrictions of the pandemic, I always thought I’d see him again. I simply assumed, maybe because he was so irrepressible, and because I could not imagine the world without him. And so this loss brings the usual reminder: be attentive and caring while you can, and don’t defer or hide your love.

Speaking of love, we’ve been having outdoor “summer school” gatherings twice weekly for the children in the neighborhood. We’re taking masks, hand washing, and distancing quite seriously, which is tricky with a group of rambunctious free-range kids, ages four to thirteen. But little by little, it’s coming together.

On Monday we made prayer flags. We first asked the kids to think about their wishes for the world, and to illustrate their flags with images and words that represented their wishes, hopes, and good will. They used a lot of words like “kindness” and “love” but we went deeper. What does that mean? How do you show that? You mention “family” but is our little community a sort of “family” too? And how far beyond, and into the world, can our love and caring go?

My favorite angle came to me in the middle of the night before. “You guys know way more about water than I do. Heck, I can’t even swim. So I want you to picture water, and imagine what happens if you drop a pebble into a pool.”

Hands shot up. A little girl described the circles that form. An older boy said they’re called ripples. I told them about the ripple effect, which suddenly became our theme, and how we never know what a difference we can make and how far our influence might extend, even from tiny Gaviota, if we proceed with kindness and consideration. We talked about examples of that, and also about how powerful they are, with the words they choose and the deeds they do.

We hung the prayer flags, and now the wind will carry their hopes and good wishes far and wide, and it’s a beginning, and a collaborative work of art and beauty. I know this is symbolic and not “real” action, but it’s a start, and maybe we’re getting the kids thinking about their roles in the world.

How I wish with all my heart that all children could have experiences like this. Attentive adults teaching and loving them in a peaceful environment. All kids deserve it.

But we can start with the ones we have access to, I guess...and count on that ripple effect.