I am grateful for the birth/death/rebirth.
This is my third time teaching Ancient Indian myths but it is still exciting for me. One of my favourite things about teaching my children is when I see them come alive as they “get it.”
As we learn about Hinduism, we talk about Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Protector/Preserver), and Shiva (the Destroyer/the Transformer). With my fifth grader, I asked her why all three gods are important, she said, “Because everything is a cycle.”
YES IT IS.
As I parent, I am destroyed constantly, humbled to my knees. But in that moment when that illness or emotional uncertainty or heartbreaking choice or whatever, comes knocking me on my mama backside, I know that it is temporary. After five children and seventeen years of parenting, I know that rebirth is around the corner. It is a cycle that we experience with every phase of childhood and adolescence.
This is growth.
My oldest two have heard these stories before but this time, we have new discussions. We talk about India and the country’s soul. Since Gandhi’s death, has India experienced a rebirth? Or is it being destroyed? When we look at different social justice issues or even look at Gandhi’s contributions to see the impact on modern India, we try to answer these questions.
This is change.
My younger two were a little afraid of Shiva. But I reminded them of the life cycle of a butterfly. Destruction is part of it. But there is also transformation in the process. When we break something and we put the pieces back together, it won’t be the same but it might just be better than before. Sometimes we must endure the violent coming apart when we don’t take the time to slowly deconstruct. In the end, it allows us to learn from our mistakes, start fresh, and try again.
This is hope.
Can you be grateful for this universal cycle? Can you see every up and down as a necessary component of growth, change, and hope?
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42 days of gratitude…giving thanks to it ALL.
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