Every child you are lucky enough to father, mother is such a privledge, gift and in small Maine towns, the entire village helps raise those kids.
You pitch in with school projects, community events and families are strong. Local Maine teachers offer support during tough times too beyond reading, writing, arithmetic. Wrapping arms around a small child, providing hugs, a rocking chair closeness for a little one. To just listen, care about the child’s troubles, confusion. Teachers can help kids way way beyond just guiding the classroom educational lesson plans.
Mainers stay involved with the raising of those kids from the time they are knee high to a grasshopper. To when your grocery bill swells to high three digits when they and their sporting buddies, classmates all make a home loud with laughter, conversation.
Unfortunately when schools in large urban, city areas become more like factories, kids can be herded through without the individual attention that smaller classes create. Had a Philadelphia teacher who wants to move his five kids to Maine describe the gangs, metal detectors, wall to wall students squeezed in concrete detention centers, more like prison settings with drug dogs, police full time roaming the halls. That is not the way it is in Maine, the 4th lowest crime state.
Societal pressures to standardize and dehumanize can squeeze the life out of individual spark that is unique in all children.
Harry Chapin wrote songs, sang about many things “of the world” that happen that hurt all of us. Like why the color of the flowers have to, must be always red.
Flowers come in a slew of colors and wild flowers of Maine are my favorite. Like the images of Maine lupines, or the stain glass colors and shapes artisans pick to create one of a kind creations. Enjoy the natural beauty of the many neat people God brings in and out of your life. Let some of them rub off on your and vice versa. Don’t expect them to be your twin, a clone.
Let kids pick their own colors, and as adults, never lose your unique personality that makes you radiate, work together for the common good like a stained glass window.
We all have a unique purpose in life. Breath, relax, find your talents, true colors, and be a servant to others. You and I are all originals. The only one. Let your special light shine. Teach kids to do the same.
Maine, we keep it simple, we know who we are, why we are here.