For November's Children's Program, we opted for an online format, exploring the theme of gratitude in honor of Thanksgiving and kindness in honor of World Kindness Day (which happened to be on the same day!). We started by sharing our names and something we were feeling grateful for. We appreciated fire, warmth and light during these colder, darker times, as well as family and friends, yummy food, snow, and cozy, rainy days. We then read and acted out The Secret of Saying Thanks, written by Douglas Wood and illustrated by Greg Shed, in which a child and their dog appreciate a beautiful morning sunrise, sweet flowers in a meadow, the shade of an old tree, a peaceful resting stone, the company of nature's creatures, the soft moon and twinkling stars, reflecting pools of water, and the warmth of family, friends, and food. We then practiced loving-kindness meditation together, wishing safety, happiness and peace to ourselves, our families and friends, our neighbors, people we don't know so well, the Earth and its creatures, and all beings everywhere.
