Mists and all that

Another stunning day. Last night was much colder and there was a real chill in the air as I left the house at 730. The mist over the fields waxed and waned, in some places so thick you could only see a foot or two from the roadside, and watching the sun rise above the mist reminded me of how small we are and I was thankful to the queue of traffic for my enforced slowing down so I could savour the view.

Why as adults do we find it so hard to slow, where does the pressure to go faster and rush from place to place come from? I have spent the day with children who could happily spend an hour examining a maple seed. They played helicopters and then carefully dissected the seed from its locomotive source, and then wondered allowed how difficult it was to open the seed case and how did it happen without any help. Finally they prised them open and were rewarded with the bright green 'tree' all curled up, waiting for the right conditions to grow.

Just like our children, who also need the right conditions to grow, including the opportunities to slow down and stop, and equally as important, adults who are prepared to slow down and stop with them-sharing those experiences.

As American naturalist Rachel Carson wrote: "If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in." My pledge to my children, and all the children I come into contact with is to be that adult-can you slow down enough to make the same pledge.....?