THE HOUSE OF LOVE By Tara Higgo
It is an incredibly difficult task to even attempt to put into words the magic of the Children of Light Educare, however upon the request of the head and heart behind the magic I knew I couldn’t refuse. I sat for a couple of hours in quiet contemplation, and every sentence I wrote seemed in some way too obscure, too abstract. You see, the thing about the Children of Light Educare is that it is so much more than the sum of its parts. I have come to the conclusion that the only way I might hope to share the magic is through a collection of moments. I hope that I can accurately convey as many of them as possible.
The magic begins the second I arrive at the gates. The fresh dew is illuminated by gentle morning light, that seems to create a golden glow on the outside playground. A reminder of a new day, a clean slate and a fresh start. We are not expected to be who we were yesterday. I walk into the kitchen and find that someone has put out my coffee mug. Breakfast is on the go; the kettle is boiling. The kind of busy hum that reminds one that things are indeed moving, growing and working for love all around you.
My coffee mug is now warm in my hands, flavoured with the love and intention of whoever thought of me and set it out. It reminds me that I am welcome and that I am seen, and energises me to make children feel the same way. The beautiful thing about love, acceptance and empathy is that it is absolutely contagious. Those who are shown love, in turn show love.
Preparations to receive the children are almost finished, each action is a meditation, an act of love. Each step has wisdom, care and meaning behind it.
As the bus pulls up outside, one can hear it before it is seen. 15 beautiful little people stand in two rows outside the house of love, hands are (for the most part) folded over their hearts. I do the same because my heart is threatening to burst out of my chest. Each child is welcomed, individually to come as they are, and each one of them receives me in turn, as I am.
A small hand on my cheek or slipped into mine feels like the most holy honour. It is a privilege to bear witness to their thoughts, the patterns and signs of growth and development. They are intuitive and individually talented. I pray that I can be as open with them as they are to the world. As quick to adapt, learn and overcome. I am reminded that most of all I am learning the language of love and trust that allows them to ask the questions whose answers shape their understanding.
In the house of love where minds grow and are fed, tummies are fed nutritious and wholesome foods. I have always believed food to be one of the best expressions of love and care. Eating is a sacred human ritual; what we eat becomes our body and while we are eating, subconscious bodily functions are happening, deepening our feelings of ease and relaxation. Each meal is prepared with yet more love and intention, to nourish the bodies in the house of love. Each meal is blessed, and the combination of these two facts means that the very eating serves the highest form of nourishment – the intersection of spiritual and physical health. Each meal becomes a blessed offering made at the temple of the body.
The word offering is one that resonates with my understanding of learning at COLT.
There is no forceful limiting box but rather a soft and elastic hammock that moves with the ones it was designed to hold. There is a powerful thing that happens when children are allowed to express themselves, and also have autonomy and choice at an early age. I never have to feel like a custodian or a dictator but rather a nurturer and the day flows like the tide, expanding and retracting in a natural way with the Steiner approach valuing independence, self-confidence and individuality. It only adds to the privilege as this type of flexibility accommodates above all else our need as human beings for things that can grow, and shape shift contextually. The gentleness of the teaching method allows me to lead with my heart, and as a result I have had the gift of seeing not only the children of light, but of basking in the light of the children.
For that I will always be truly grateful.
Tara is a volunteer class assistant at COLT
