Blessed

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Since we have finished all the work in our religion workbook (who makes a school workbook that only last 28 weeks, Sadlier?) I have now moved into putting a stronger focus on teaching my students what I like to call the "Catholic Fun Facts" that make up the archdiocesan curriculum.

This week and last we have been studying the 8 beatitudes that Jesus Christ taught to his disciples. I do love this 8 little phrases, and not just because they give me an excuse to sing Simon and Garfunkel. Today's beatitude was number five, which you can see posted above.

We did a fun reflection as a class that I've typically used in the past to help teach behavior in my classroom, but I felt it applied well to this beatitude as well.

Here it is:

Put your head down on your desk and close your eyes. Think of the person whom you consider to be your best friend ("DON'T POINT! Or say his or her name out loud. Just think" I always have to say. Nothing is less fun than the drama of someone crying because so-and-so said they weren't best friends). How does that person treat other people? Is she rude? Unkind? Mean? Does she spread rumors or make hurtful jokes? Hopefully, the answer to these questions is "no."

"When I think of my best friend," I tell the class, "I think of someone who is always kind, who always shares. Someone that wouldn't say something mean about me to other people. I think of someone who treats other people fairly." The way your best friend acts, is how you should act. 

This reflection is great because it's two-fold. First, it makes students think about who their friends are, and whether those people are good friends or bad friends. In elementary school, especially at the age I teach, students start to get the itch to become "popular." This totally foreign, unimportant idea suddenly pops into their heads as the end all and be all of existence. It's such a sticky trap and it can lead to so much unnecessary grief. While I do believe the trials of adolescent angst serve a purpose in shaping who we are as adults, I also think the sooner this lesson is learned, the better. Good friends make you feel good about yourself.

The second, and more obvious lesson, is that it makes student's evaluate how they have acted towards their friends and other people. "Have I acted like someone who I would want to be friends with?" is the implied question they end up asking themselves. This is a lesson that gets a lot of those "oh!" faces kids make when a concept finally becomes clear to them.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy is basically Jesus's way of saying "karma's a bitch." If you do bad things, bad things come back to you. If you send out love and peace to all people you encounter, then life is as sweet as a spoonful of Cherry Garcia ice cream.

That's my happy note. Onto the less-happy note, but I promise it's brief.

I'm slacking to get a lot of things done in my life. I still cannot decide if I am settling, if I'm afraid, or if I'm content with where I am. I keep thinking, "do I feel like this isn't working because I haven't actually tried to make it work, or does it just not work?" If I really want to leave, then why am I hesitating so much? If the answer is because I am too afraid, then I am not the person I thought I was. Or maybe I'm not done with this place yet and that's a good thing. There is still growing and learning that I need to do here. There is something that's still here for me and I can't go until I find it. To everything there is a season, right? AHH!! I suppose adult angst is also a thing, huh?