Twice a week I get to tutor a student whose family lives on the water in Boston Harbor. Needless to say, it is a beautiful setting and both the student and I will get distracted by the changes that occur outside our window. Actually, I have always wondered why his mother chose the dining room for us to work? Mind you, we are doing school homework, but he is an artist at heart.
Together we oooh and aaah at what we see in-between math and reading. Our timing is perfect since we begin at 4:00PM and end at 5:00PM. It has to be the most spectacular time of day for dramatic lighting. One week we watched an incredible wind storm spread across the water with white caps leaping. Another evening the sun decided to come out just about time for it to set (rather typical here in the Pacific Northwest). We watched a gorgeous light show on the water and shared our enjoyment. Tonight it was a FULL rainbow!
How many people take the time to appreciate the beauty that surrounds them, especially with children? I suppose I could have been a real task master and kept to the homework, but being aware of our natural surroundings in the moment is important, too. It brings us joy and pleasure which is vital to our well-being. And my little friend is also learning an appreciation for nature. What could be a better lesson?
