Mind
A Recipe to Nourish Grandkids “In a troubled time, the willingness to proceed like you’re needed is a radical act.” – Stephen Jenkinson
Lindsay Coulter is a writer, educator, facilitator, naturalist, community catalyst, soul activist, mentor, and dedicated mother of two. She’s the Director of Communications, Culture and Community at EPIC Learning Centre, a forest and nature school in Victoria, B.C. Find her @ SaneAction on Instagram and Facebook. 14
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Photo: Kalene Lillico
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f old trees become fertile ground, then it’s grandparents who we need to nourish future generations. How will you offer yourself to the world? From an open-hearted and generous place, we need grandparents to share their gifts, wisdom and spirit. We are creatures of connection. Happiness and resilience blossom when we recognize our interconnection through generations and with our living world. Try a few simple acts to live in alignment with our innate desire to contribute: Forage with kids. It’s like hide and seek with a delicious pay off! When I was a kid, my grandparents took me foraging for morel mushrooms. It was a fun spring family activity of bushwhacking and climbing over forest debris and a peaceful way to experi-
ence nature reciprocity. Introduce grandchildren to your lineage of gatherers seeking nettle, berries or other wild edibles. Landscape for the soul. Landscapes are potent. It’s here we can connect with our ancestors. Take your grandkids to your favourite view or vista. Maybe somewhere your parents took you? Mary Reynolds Thompson, author of Reclaiming the Wild Soul, says all landscapes are not extrinsic to who you are; they are woven into the core of your being. Introduce children the landscapes they belong to. Can’t think of a landscape? Invite the child to show you a place they hold sacred. Take them to water. Water is an earth element with healing qualities— it’s pure and precious. Take a child to play, picnic or sit near water, it sooths the body and soul. Alan Wolfelt, author and founder and director of the Center for Loss and Life Transition, says, “When we spend time near water, we connect to its tranquility and flow.” Vancouver Island offers many opportunities to attune to the ocean, it’s streams, waterfalls, ponds and lakes. A walk in the rain counts too! Find ritual. Invite grandkids to participate in a ritual from your ancestors, culture and roots. This can be an act to reclaim and better understand the benefits of ceremony. Without ritual our lives can become empty and devoid of symbolism. The magical language of ritual helps us stay connected to our roots, brings us into the present moment and reminds us of our human goodness. Many children have a grandmag.ca
