We shared some of the
changes of the seasons we have been noticing, such as the longer nights, colder
temperatures, and animals having more scarcity of food. We remembered how
normally for this month's Family Program we would make pine cone peanut butter
bird feeders to hang in the Pet Cemetery at the Temple to offer some of our
human abundance to our animal friends. However, as we couldn't do that in
person this year, we were encouraged to bring some bit of food outdoors for the
animals, whether some bird seed or a small part of a meal, as a food offering. 
We then read and acted out the story Stone Soup, a traditional
Chinese tale retold by Jon J Muth. In the story three monks find a village in
which the villagers have undergone many hardships, which have made them wary of
going out and interacting with their neighbors (sound familiar?). The monks
start making a pot of stone soup in the center of the village, and little by
little the villagers come to offer what they can to enrich the soup, eventually
joining together to partake in a delicious feast. While today one way we can be
generous to others is by maintaining physical distance, we look forward to a
day when we will all be able to gather and feast together again.
We
contemplated other ways we can be generous right now, including calling those
we love, sending cards and gifts, sharing with others, and even the simple acts
of breathing and being fully ourselves.
 |
| Closing group "OM" |
