Snail-io

We had a hard start to our morning, the other day. We've come to the conclusion that riding our bikes to school with the violin just doesn't work. Oliver was not pleased. However, even after such a stormy morning, one moment stood out. We arrived at school, engrossed in conversation, when, in mid-sentence, Oliver recoils in horror! Is he stung? Has he forgotten his report on the cure for cancer at home? I look down in the direction his eyes are fixed to find......a snail. Yes, he almost stepped on it. Carefully we maneuver around and I continue down the path. Realizing that Oliver is no longer next to me, I turn around and am greeted with a warm vision. He is kneeling down beside the snail, speaking gently and moving it to the plants. Compassion, something rarely taught or found these days. From preschool they have learned to respect all creatures and were mortified when I chucked a snail from my garden, or worse, added a little salt. In their chubby little baby bodies, they would softly sing:"Hey there, snail-io, how's the world with you? Stick out your little horns and tell me how do you do?" We can learn a lot from this simple lesson. "Let the creatures be." Even the ones that are challenging. Compassion, love, respect and tolerance; I'll keep working on these.