hope or despair with grandson
As I sat in my cozy armchair, enjoying my afternoon tea, I heard the sound of rapid footsteps approaching. Moments later, my grandson burst into the room, his eyes filled with a mixture of excitement and curiosity, as if he had just stumbled upon something truly remarkable.
"Grandma!" he exclaimed, barely able to contain himself, "You won't believe what happened today!" I couldn't help but smile at his infectious enthusiasm. "Tell me all about it," I encouraged, eager to hear what had stirred him up.
He took a deep breath, his words tumbling out in a rush, "Well, you know how you've been telling me about those mobius-strip workshops that you do, and how they can make a difference in the world? I didn't really get it at first. I mean, how could simple things like that change anything, right?" I nodded, understanding his initial doubt but also sensing a shift in his perspective.
He continued, "But today, something amazing happened. I decided to try one of those ME=WE things at home. You know, where everyone gets to have a say, and we listen to each other without judging. I suggested it for my summer camp decision. And, Grandma, it worked! We all listened, shared our ideas, and actually made a better decision together."
His eyes sparkled with newfound understanding and excitement. "I introduced a rule," he explained, "that everyone can equally contribute to making a decision without judging or imposing their own ideas. Hesitantly, everyone was curious about what this space could do, but to my surprise, we actually enjoyed listening to each other's opinions, building upon each other's ideas to find the best solution, and expressing appreciation."
"But that's not all," he went on, "I started paying more attention to people around me. Like, there was this moment when one of my basketball buddies was super stressed about his chores. So, I offered to help him out after practice. But then, it hit me—why stop there? So, we turned it into a fun cleaning party, and we even did our homework together." I couldn't help but share in his enthusiasm, "That sounds wonderful!"
He nodded vigorously, his energy palpable. "It was, Grandma! It's like I've discovered this whole new world where I can connect with people and make a real difference. I'm thinking of organizing a neighborhood clean-up day with my friends and having a big potluck dinner. We want to bring our community closer together." As he spoke, I could see the transformation happening before my eyes. This young boy, once filled with doubt, was now a believer in the power of ME=WE practices.
Finally, he looked at me with determination, "I want to keep learning, Grandma. I want to hear about how other kids are making a difference in their communities. Can you help me with that?" I couldn't have been prouder. "Of course, my dear," I said, "Let's brainstorm. We began to sketch out our ideas and dreams on a big sheet of paper using a colorful array of pencils.
