Tell Your Story, Heal the World

It’s no secret that human beings are creatures of habit.  Whether it’s a good habit or a bad habit is really not important:  we like to feel safe, secure, and protected.  I believe we call it “the comfort zone.”

For children, the “comfort zone” is extremely important.  When children feel safe to think, feel, speak, explore, create — they literally shine.  You see it in their eyes, their body movements, the ease with which they express themselves, their achievements, their confidence, their overall sense of self-worth.  As a teacher, I see it every day:  the ones who skip to the bathroom, the ones who can’t wait to tell you about their fabulous weekend or their new puppy, the ones who hum while they work, and dance freely in the yard.

But when children are unsafe — when they are not comfortable in their own skin — it’s obvious.  They censor themselves, withdraw, stay quiet, stay small, speak little, are afraid to create.  They are like closed flowers, scared to bloom in case they’re crushed by some uncontrollable force outside of themselves. The world is scary, and so they hide.  They don’t believe that their story is worth sharing, that their petals are worth displaying.  Somewhere along the way, their light was dimmed, and their voice stifled.  The