UMS: Personal Reflection Time

*An article I wrote and published in the school's bi-monthly publication.

My family really enjoys taking walks together. It gives us the opportunity to exercise, breathe fresh air and, most importantly, be together without all of the distractions found inside our home—television, computers, dishes, laundry, etc. In the Law house, family days equal time together and most often, time in nature.

I love this quote: How often is the soul of man—especially that of the child—deprived because one does not put him into contact with nature… Maria Montessori (1945). Being in nature and with Mom and Dad, seems to calm my children and draws us closer together as family. We walk and talk…mostly we talk about what we see. My husband is a tree lover and will often have our daughters collect samples of leaves. We observe birds, squirrels, of course dogs on walks with their owners, and every now and again we’ll stumble upon larger mammals such as wild rabbits or armadillos.

Being out in nature is such an enriching experience, but with it also comes risks. As a Mom, I am often most conscious of where my children’s feet are headed and how to keep them safe. One morning this past summer we were walking along a wooded path and our daughter, Arianna, had run ahead of us. As she was skipping and consumed by the moment, she didn’t notice a big bullfrog hurriedly hopping across the path in front of her. And right on his tail was a 5ft long rattlesnake hungry for lunch. Arianna came within a few feet of the snake before she heard our screams and stopped. The rattlesnake spooked, curled up and then retreated into the woods just as we caught up with our child. Let me tell you, my heart had a workout over that encounter! To this day, our youngest daughter will retell the story: “Frog…hop, hop, hop …ssssssssnake…Ari…go away!” It was quite a traumatic moment for our entire family.

As much as I enjoy walking with my family, I also enjoy walking alone in nature. It gives me moments of silence and personal reflection time not often present in a household with small children. Walking alone helps me to re-center and to decompress. Recently, while on a solitary walk, it dawned on me that I rarely raised my eyes from the path. My focus was several feet in front of me and toward the ground…I was unconsciously looking for snakes. The rattlesnake encounter with my children had altered my focus and I didn’t realize it until I had time alone to reflect.

So often this happens to us. Slowing business, a job loss, illness, challenges with our children…the list of stress we face every day is endless. Stressful encounters along our paths tend to alter our focus, drawing our attention downward rather than forward or upwards. We are all in need personal reflection time to redirect our eyes and hearts. Without it, eventually someone will suffer, and those someones are often our children.

In Undercroft’s Middle School classroom a portion of their day is dedicated to personal reflection time. Students are given time to reflect, evaluate their goals and progress, reenergize and redirect their focus. More importantly, they have quiet moments to simply be…and in those moments discover who they are. What a wonderful example! I wonder how personal reflection time and the peace that accompanies it would impact our relationships if we simply made it a priority. And, to do it while in contact nature would make it only that much richer. Just as our vehicles only go as far as they have fuel, we too need fill ups. May each of us somehow find moments in our weeks to refuel through personal reflection time!

Kathy Law
Executive Director