Keeping up with it all!

It seems to me that everyone is becoming more and more stressed! I participated in a retreat this week, with 17 amazing women attending; almost the entire group confessed to arriving with a great deal of stress in their body/mind.

So I began thinking about the collective "stress" factor and how that must affect children. I do not remember being stressed about anything in particular, except of course exams, when I was a child. Todays kids have to deal with a multitude of stresses that seemed almost unimaginable in my youth. We think we are more connected, but in fact we are becoming more isolated.

I am developing a program for early childhood educators that will integrate environment and well-being. I have long believed that the inclusion of an ecological literacy into early childhood education is the stepping stone to wellness. Understanding our interconnection to this beautiful world can be an inspiration to self-actualize; gratitude and appreciation of music, art, story and poetry can so enhance a child's perception of life.

I heard once about a village in Africa where the villagers would gather to sing a newborn child his or her "song". If, during the child's life, he or she would lose their way, find themselves in difficulty or facing a great challenge, the relatives and neighbours would reconvene to sing his or her song to bring balance back into their life.

Just as each of us has a story, I think each of us has a song, and that song helps us to resonate with all of life if we can just uncover it! Music and song can bring joy and peace into our being, help us to de-stress from the daily grind!

I'm off to sing my song......actually the one that I just recorded....."No sugar, no fries!" Stay tuned and you will hear it soon!