Out of Great Love

There is no education about 
how to feel grief or 
how long to grieve
even though grief has definitions, 
grieving has steps to go through
but grief paints a coat as thin as water
over eyes, heart, mind and soul
and dyes as deeply as the blackest dye.
Only with the steady wash of time
does the intensity of grief fade
turning to shades of gray ~
rimmed with the golden edge of memory
while the feeling memories of love and joyous times shared 
are bathed in a richer multicoloured dye.
Grief is not a choice for it is born of great love ~
how to fashion life out of grief is the only choice.

“I thought I could describe a state: make a map of sorrow.

Sorrow, however, turns out to be not a state but a process.”

~ C.S.Lewis, A Grief Observed

Proving Up Education

Proof of education ~
scrolled graduation date from
an ordinary or prestigious school, framed neatly and hung prominently for all to see.

Proof of education ~
walks out of the frame into 

trade, profession or calling
to fit into the frame of organization

Proof of education ~
stays away from the frame
belief in heartfelt ethical practice blossoms, shaping education 

and employment to fit one another.

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”

~ Aristotle

Growth of Opinion

Education is slippery
Not always grasped
Heard without listening
Spoken without speaking

Education is faceted
Opinions and beliefs back to back
Ignoring opinions and beliefs of others  
Power struggles firmly in the ring

Education ~ open to discussion
Trading opinions to search for shared goals
Airing disparate ideas and thoughts
Opposites just might attract new solutions.

“Discussion is an exchange of knowledge; 

argument an exchange of ignorance.”

~ Robert Quillen

A Natural Education

A walk in the morning
education in silent observation.

Green of grass and trees
shows moisture or season.

Rust gold leaves drifting down
show that autumn is edging near.

Grey mist rolls over blue sky
soft wind ruffling gauzy curtains.

Song birds twitter and chirp
morning unfolds with their song.

Squirrels scamper cautiously
wandering humans must be watched!

Rose hips shaped from rose blossoms
Summer season is ending.

“Nature has been for me, for as long as I remember, a source of solace,

inspiration, adventure, and delight; a home, a tacher, a companion.”

~ Lorraine Anderson

Spirals

The human voice
educates about facts, figures and attitude
passing on the education learned from 
the human voice
of upbringing and generation.

Education spirals forward in time
passing from one voice to another
modulated or expanded
shaping and forming all those
facts, figures and attitudes from voices of
family, friends, and strangers.

The human voice,
to a listening ear connects
heart, mind, and soul
whether truth or falsehood is spoken.

Education spirals foward in time
echoing the past, envisioning the future
while listening to the present
without image for our eyes.

“The whole universe is based on rhythms.

Everything happens in circles in spirals.”

~ John Harford

Preparing to Speak

What did I learn tonight........
that when asked to speak to strangers
my stomach twists in knots
my feet glue themselves to the floor.

How can education of the mind
tame raging emotions that 
turn confidence into sour jelly
turn the ability to speak into mere babbling?

Must I become a puppet to script and dance
to have words normally filled with passion
edge with timidity from within my being
before confidence will rise again?

Freeing my voice to speak outside of the safety
of my personal soapbox is a task I am willing to accept.

“Clearly she was expected to say something, but panic 

at having to speak stole the thoughs from her head.”

~ Shannon Hale, The Goose Girl

Teaching for Health's Sake

A leg was broken, no longer a faithful support
life changed, now supported by crutches

A heart attack stopped a day’s work, a party in mid swing, a drive to the country.
life changed dramatically.

A list of acute health conditions invade lives 
life changes must be made or not

After the diagnosis, after the surgery, during healing
how to manage medication, dressings, treatments and wellbeing.

Nurses become teachers and coaches
defending against curling up, turning away from life.

Health teaching ~
A nursing task that speaks cheer and direction to body and soul.

“The man (or woman) who can make hard things easy is the educator.”

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson