leaning back

this week i needed change and refreshment so i drove a different way to work only to gasp in surprise at one of my favorite sights: a sprawling red clover field. the message to me was "lean back, create space to appreciate beauty." any teacher knows the months before the end of school get more than a little wonky, making everyone want to grasp at everything frantically. the posture of leaning back at this time of year is counter-intuitive to say the least.

i didn't have time NOT to create space, though. so i "leaned back". i wanted to help my art students do this too, so i took my high school class outside to teach them the Greek word for God's workmanship, going on to say that they are each this "work of art". listening to their stresses and concerns made me want to tell them about the clover field and have them share what they thought was beautiful. answers ranged from clouds to jazz music and warm rain to the color blue.

the next day we returned to our projects. we got much more done for having taken time together the day before. i noticed my shoulders were relaxed and that everyone was smiling while they worked.

isn't beauty the best posture afterall?