When a stick is not a stick

It's likely a bit hard to see, however there is a very long and very skinny stick in this photo.  Even before it was picked up off the ground, it was clear it had seen better days; splinters at one end, and some bark missing in several spots.  I'm not sure what value it would normally serve removed from the tree it once belonged to- very spindly, weak, frail and kind of anemic looking.

In the hands of a five-year-old however, this stick found new life.  It started out as a magic wand. Very quickly it was transformed into a sword, protecting the warrior princess from fierce dragons.  Eventually, after an epic battle against the evil queen (that would have been me), victory was a rewarded with a significant amount of gold and jewels.   

So important was this stick to the brief time we had together, that it resides in the back of my car awaiting the next play date- or should I say imagination infused adventure? 

The warrior princess had her very first day of school this week. Not the typical five-year-old, at least in my opinion, this one is sure to bring a whole host of definitive thoughts and bold opinions to her kindergarten class.  She is all at once kind and caring, a bit saucy, and totally outrageous.  At the ripe old age of five she has a firm sense of who she is, clear expectations of just about everyone, and determination and stamina that knows no bounds.  She is captivating, delightful and highly entertaining. 

It's been a crazy couple of months.  Hanging out with this young miss has been both restorative and therapeutic.  There's nothing like channeling your inner child to be reminded of how something as simple as a stick can take you places you really need to go, even as an evil queen. 

It’s the things we play with and the people who help us play that make a great difference in our lives. 

Fred Rogers

Am I a 'Good Ancestor'?

   In the interest of transparency, and for context, let me begin by saying that I retweeted this post without having first listened to the referenced podcast.  After all, if the supt makes a podcast recommendation (especially using the words 'future generations' and 'common good') I've learned it will be worth listening to.  And I'm a fan of Nahla Ayed, so there's that.

For additional context, let me also describe my week as being very long and tiring, not without some frustration, but also filled with reminders of what is good in my life. 

I share this to set the stage for a really wonderful ending to the day and the week, which was a long walk listening to a new podcast series called The Common Good, and the first episode titled The Good Ancestor.  

I figured if I was going endorse it with a RT I should listen to it straight away. You really need to listen to it too. 

In the end, I'm left wondering if the choices I've made and am making, the voices I am trying to engage, the priorities I've defined, the commitments I've made, the way I've encouraged my kids to move through life, the conversations I'm am choosing to be a part of, will leave my corner of the world better off for future generations.  Will I be remembered as an ancestor who had an impact, made a contribution, helped her community grow, flourish, and thrive?

Will we arrive at a point when our leaders consciously and consistently think seven generations ahead in all they do?  Will I live to see Canada with an equivalent to The Future Generations Commissioner for Wales?  When my kids hold their great-grandchild for the first time, will they do so knowing that child has the future they deserve? Is that future citizen being considered in the decisions being made today?  Are the voices of our worlds future being included in the decisions that will impact their lives?

If I'm being honest, the podcast was a great reminder not only of what we are capable of as a community, but what we must be as individuals. I'm also now compelled to read Roman Krznaric's book The Good Ancestor as a way to dig deeper into how I must contribute.

Perhaps it was the beautiful sky as the sun set, perhaps it was walking past a school as I was listening, perhaps it was wanting to be a part of something bigger than me.  Perhaps it was a reminder that what some would consider bold and audacious thinking is commonplace in some areas of the world already, and what I'm inspired to see more off. 

Regardless, it's now time to delete that RT,  and RT with comment.

"We are just this brief moment...who are we to break the great chain of life with our deadly technologies and ecological destructiveness?"

Roman Krzaric