Thoughts on Warmth

I actually love seeing my children’s winter gear strewn about the house- the jackets drying on the backs of chairs, hats and mittens warming on a radiator, boots waiting by the door. I’m happy when I see my girls bundled up and warm as they play outside. And I’ve been enjoying all the ways I can warm their bodies when they come back inside—cookies right out of the oven, little mugs of hot cocoa, a game in front of the fireplace, extra blankets at story-time.

During a quiet part of the day, I’ve started curling up with a collection of lectures given by the incomparable Rudolf Steiner in the early 1900’s. The other day I was struck by this statement he made about young children:

“What you say, what you teach, does not yet make an impression,

except insofar as children imitate what you say in their own speech.

But it is what you are that matters;

if you are good this goodness will appear in your gestures…”

- from The Kingdom of Childhood

Steiner’s lecture reminds me of another aspect of warmth that needs our attention: the warmth of our words, our thoughts and our actions. Can these things also wrap themselves around our children and help them feel cozy and cared for and loved? What can we do each day to be our best selves and to make ourselves worthy of imitation?

I know that for myself, I must create some quiet moments each day to sip a cup of tea and rest for bit; I must focus on one task at a time; I must remember to breathe and to stretch; and to say less and listen more. These very small (though not easy) actions generate warmth. They bring calm and peace and pave the way for kind gestures. They bring out the sort of goodness that is worthy of imitation. Yes, those teeny actions throughout the day help me remember what matters most…

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For those of you in Rhode Island, you will soon have the opportunity to spend a *warm* evening with Kim John Payne, author of Simplicity Parenting!  He will be speaking at the Meadowbrook Waldorf School in West Kingston, RI on Wednesday, February 8th at 7 pm. The evening’s topic will be The Soul of Discipline: Nurturing Healthy Behaviors in the Growing Child.

More information can be found on the Meadowbrook Waldorf School’s Facebook Page.  You may also call (401)491-9570 during the school day to register for this free event.

If you are local, I hope to see you there!!