"... you might be interested in knowing that volunteer work, especially direct work with people, is the common thread in people who thrive in their mature years. It is also the activity most likely to make people feel that they are part of a larger community and most likely to make them feel good about themselves. You are probably familiar with the concept of "flow" as applied to athletes, musicians, surgeons and others. People who do one on one volunteer work are more likely to report experiencing "flow" than any other group..."
-- email from retired psychiatrist and good friend, Dr. Koi
David's casual observations arrived exactly as we were pondering which direction the next posting should take. It had been a spontaneous leap, the creation of this blog, prompted by the residual joy generated by our Day in the Park. It was tempting to make this next post a continuation of that day, inserting the pictorial essays our Students had already begun composing. However, a leap into the middle of story demands a certain amount of consideration for an audience's need for background before plunging further afield, and David's message lent the final weight to our desire to continue honoring the people whose donations have contributed so much to One Candle Schoolhouse. The scales tipped, so we'll be returning to our Day in the Park another time.
"Flow" has become a defining word for our involvement with the children here as will become evident, in the pages reproduced below. Created initially as a Thank You booklet, to introduce ourselves to Rotary Club members who'd collected and donated books to us, it now supplies the needed bit of background for this "work in progress" we are so involved with. Family and friends (and friends of friends), hearing stories about the children, contributed financial donations to help us. As part of their learning exercises, the children wrote stories of how that money was spent, and it became our way of returning to the donors, the gift of their generosity. Those stories, too,will be added in later posts.
It is so good to also, finally, have the opportunity to introduce the members of our special "sponsors' club" to each other!
David's reference to the feelings of connectedness echo words from another of friend whose words, in the next posting, we will continue unfolding the multiple facets of our project. To get there, though, we begin with the Thank You booklet...the first steps into the flow that brought us to this spot:
David's casual observations arrived exactly as we were pondering which direction the next posting should take. It had been a spontaneous leap, the creation of this blog, prompted by the residual joy generated by our Day in the Park. It was tempting to make this next post a continuation of that day, inserting the pictorial essays our Students had already begun composing. However, a leap into the middle of story demands a certain amount of consideration for an audience's need for background before plunging further afield, and David's message lent the final weight to our desire to continue honoring the people whose donations have contributed so much to One Candle Schoolhouse. The scales tipped, so we'll be returning to our Day in the Park another time.
"Flow" has become a defining word for our involvement with the children here as will become evident, in the pages reproduced below. Created initially as a Thank You booklet, to introduce ourselves to Rotary Club members who'd collected and donated books to us, it now supplies the needed bit of background for this "work in progress" we are so involved with. Family and friends (and friends of friends), hearing stories about the children, contributed financial donations to help us. As part of their learning exercises, the children wrote stories of how that money was spent, and it became our way of returning to the donors, the gift of their generosity. Those stories, too,will be added in later posts.
It is so good to also, finally, have the opportunity to introduce the members of our special "sponsors' club" to each other!
David's reference to the feelings of connectedness echo words from another of friend whose words, in the next posting, we will continue unfolding the multiple facets of our project. To get there, though, we begin with the Thank You booklet...the first steps into the flow that brought us to this spot:
(Clicking on the pictures will enlarge on them for readability)
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