April 26 - Where Sticks, Stories, and Friends Led the Way

Almost all of the magnolia petals are on the ground, and the dogwood is in full bloom. The park and garden are bursting with color and new growth, and we met on this cloudy Sunday morning to enjoy it together.

L and H met at the table to paint with watercolors together. L narrated her painting process, saying that she was painting water and a fish. H reached over and added to her painting, saying that now it was a flying fish. One friend asked L if she liked that addition, unsure if H had imposed on her artwork. But L was delighted by what H added. When we listen closely to our friends, sometimes that looks like noticing body language too. L was open and smiling and listened to H’s suggestion before he added to her painting.

This small moment of connection led to a big game of chase, and R joined in. The chick puppet we named Cutie Pie was chasing everyone around. Cutie Pie was looking for worms to eat and kept pecking at all of the friends who wanted to play. T and S grabbed shovels and started digging in the mud by the table until a worm was discovered.

On the table, we also had some plants donated by Hein Farm in Farmington for our garden, including carrots, parsley, kale, and lettuce. There were also pea plants, tall and leaning over in their pots. We had a goal to collect sticks so we could build a structure for the peas to climb. But wait… peas can climb? We used the magnifying glass to look closely at the tender stems of the pea plants and noticed thin, finger-like shoots reaching and curling from the vines. These tendrils would need something to hold onto. Sometimes, when we are listening closely, we notice what a plant might be asking for too.

Then we headed to the circle to read a story together. We read Robin and the Stick by E.B. Goodale to help us in our stick-collecting mission. The story follows Robin, who collects every stick they find until discovering one too large to lift alone.

We had a large stick with us inside the circle, and we wondered together about the best way to pick up a stick that heavy since Robin in the story was struggling. T and L walked over to the stick and picked it up together. T said that Robin just needed help, and she and L held the stick together for the rest of the story. In the end, Robin grows big enough to carry the stick alone, but our friends seemed more interested in another possibility: that some things are easier, and perhaps even better, when carried together.

After the story, we headed to the garden to plant together. We gently pulled the peas from their pots and loosened their roots. K started with the weeding and said that she wanted to plant “cookies.” Then G arrived and started planting the lettuce. We dug holes in the ground large enough for the roots to fit, then tucked the plants into their garden beds with big hopes that they will grow large enough to harvest in the coming months.

T used a stick to wrap the pea plants around, and then she helped L with her pea plant just as L had helped her hold up the stick during the story. M gathered water to hydrate the plants, and then we headed into the park to search for more sticks.

K led everyone up the hill and into a small thicket of trees. We discovered some great sticks but became more interested in a large enclosure formed by the pine tree’s dark green branches. Friends huddled underneath in a space just the right size for them. Then we came down the hill and discovered that the big pile of leaves from the fall was still there. Now it was R’s turn to lead the way in a parade through the leaves.

Then G led his friends to the fountain, where S found a good splashing stick and R and H climbed right into the water. It seemed that everyone took a turn leading throughout the morning. When we listen to each other and follow the ideas of our friends, we sometimes find ourselves making discoveries we would not have reached alone.

Too soon, it was time to head back to the garden. We sang “Love Is a Circle,” and then everyone helped clean up before saying our goodbyes.

Thanks for being part of Brave Nature Collaborative.

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