A little girl came home from kindergarten and presented her mom with a crayon drawing.  When the mother asked how she'd come up with such a beautiful picture, the girl replied, "Oh, that was easy.  I just had a think and drew a line around it."
 
I was reminded of this story during the Circle Children's Retreat at Slumber Falls Camp last weekend, watching our youth be endlessly energetic, enthusiastic and imaginative.  They were seeing and doing things that would never have occurred to my adult mind, constantly engaging with nature and each other, finding creative ways to "have a think and draw a line around it".  Of course it helped that our retreat directors (a big THANK YOU to Momo Brown, Mark Kohnitz, Susan Damon, Daniel Stoneham, and Susan Smylie!!!) had prepared stimulating activities, like taking guided nature walks, making handmade instruments, and creating amazing, cardboard box nature altars (which will be on display in the Circle this Sunday).  But our children were just as creative while playing multiple rounds of Zombie Tag, a game combining elements of Hide-and-Go-Seek with Tag and involving a constantly-shifting set of rules, strategies, alliances and hiding places that evolved at a high-volume, dizzying pace over the weekend. 

It was truly inspiring to be around them and drink in their sheer joy of being playful together.  Of course there were a few, brief moments of very minor grief, too, but by and large, the young people were amazingly kind, gentle and cooperative with each other and the adults alike.  I was truly proud to witness the love that was present at Slumber Falls Camp throughout the weekend.  To be part of this particular village, helping raise such caring, creative children.
 
That's also why we'll be focusing on our youth this coming Sunday, as they finish their vacation and head back to school.  Whether you are a parent or not, have children present in your daily life or not, I hope you be with us as we ritually acknowledging and honoring them - and their teachers, too! - because (a) they play such a vital role in our Circle community; (b) they represent our future and (c) they remind us adults that we, too, are still capable of learning, growing and creating new possibilities.  I, for one, am grateful for their presence and their reminders to lighten up and have more fun!
 
With gratitude and hopes of seeing you Around the Circle,