Being Mindful: Snowgeese Moments

Standing outside today with a group of enthusiastic fourth grade students, I was reminded of a poem by Mary Oliver called Snow Geese, which is featured at the end of this blog entry.

Gathered around a tree adorned with brightly colored fall leaves, I watched as a fourth grade class set up their new project:  "Library Under the Tree Tops".  Based on the world's only natural library in Slovenia, the library at my school was created for all students to enjoy outside during their recess.  Underneath the tree, the students worked together to display books like in a bookshop, with some books in the crates and others featured prominently on top, an invitation to be read.  Soft blankets were laid out on the grass for students to sit or lie on as they enjoyed the library.

Looking up toward the clear blue sky, I spotted a flock of birds, flying towards us in a perfect "V" formation.  As I watched the birds, mesmerized by their synchronicity, one enthusiastic boy called out, "Look up.  It's snow geese!"  Several students began chanting, "Snow geese!  Snow geese! Snow geese!"  We all stood still in that moment of time, staring at the snow geese in wonder.  It's moments like this where I am completely absorbed, and mindful of the moment.  Experiencing this, it made me hope for a snow geese type of moment everyday. 

In fact, one occurred merely fifteen minutes later...

The best aspect of the "Library Under the Tree Tops" was the surprise element: this one fourth grade class were the only kids in the school who knew the library would appear.  As soon as the first set of students descended onto the playground for recess, the fourth graders eagerly stood peering outside of the windows lining the wall of their classroom on the third floor of the building.  The students stood, mesmerized, as they watched kindergarteners, first graders, second graders, exploring their library, taking a book, and sitting or sprawling on the blankets.  It was quite a moment, witnessing these fourth graders exclaiming joyfully about students at the school discovering their library, picking up a book, and reading.

Questions to Ponder:

1.  What kinds of "snow geese moments" have you experienced recently?
2.  How do "snow geese moments" make you feel?
3.  How can you incorporate more "snow geese moments" in your life?
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Snow Geese
by Mary Oliver

Oh, to love what is lovely, and will not last!
    What a task
         to ask

of anything, or anyone,

yet it is ours,
     and not by the century or the year, but by the hours.

One fall day I heard
     above me, and above the sting of the wind, a sound
I did not know, and my look shot upward; it was

a flock of snow geese, winging it
     faster than the ones we usually see,
and, being the color of snow, catching the sun

so they were, in part at least, golden.  I

held my breath
as we do

sometimes
to stop time
when something wonderful
has touched us

as with a match
which is lit, and bright,
but does not hurt
in the common way,
but delightfully,
as if delight
were the most serious thing
you ever felt.

The geese
flew on.
I have never
seen them again.

Maybe I will, someday, somewhere.
Maybe I won’t.
It doesn’t matter.
What matters
is that, when I saw them.
I saw them
as through the veil, secretly, joyfully, clearly.