‘To see a World in a Grain of Sand

And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,

Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand

And Eternity in an hour.’ – William Blake

……soon to be available in a wood near you!

Have a wonder-ful weekend.

Mrs D-C

‘I’d rather get bad news from an honest man than lies from a flatterer.’ – Ursula K LeGuin

I spent half-term in the Alpujarras in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in Spain. We were lucky to be able to walk in spring sunshine through glorious (if rather steeply uphill and downhill!) countryside and to enjoy some wonderful local cuisine.  An unexpected pleasure were the almond trees which grow prolifically in the area and which were robed in the most delicately beautiful blossom during our visit. In the evening, many of the dishes that we ate made delicious use of the nuts (actually fruits – see below) gathered from the trees last autumn.

Talking with the hosts of our small guesthouse we learned of the importance of the almond trees. They offer important nutritional benefits – research shows these healthy nuts may both raise healthy cholesterol and lower unhealthy cholesterol at the same time. They provide a rich source of energy, vitamins and oil and last through the lean winter months. We also discovered that the almond tree is rich in symbolism: in Christian faiths it represents purity; in the Jewish religion it is recognised as the ‘tree of life’, whilst a number of middle eastern cultures see the tree as a symbol for light. Certainly in many areas across the globe the tree (which blossoms in January/February) is seen to embody new beginnings.

A rather loose link perhaps to our value of Honesty – but I feel that the purity, fresh start, beauty and wholesomeness embodied by these trees exemplify a nourishing and honest approach to life.

This week we moved on to consider Honesty. In assembly we started with four UIIC girls playing the ‘Chocolate Button Game. Each was given a single (giant!) chocolate button to put on their tongues and close their mouths. They then needed to keep the chocolate buttons there, without moving their tongues or chewing, until they had completely melted. The winner of the game was the person whose chocolate button took the longest time to melt. As I was unwilling to look inside their chocolate-filled mouths, they needed to be honest and raise their hands when the chocolate button had completely melted. Without honesty, there would be no game. Suffice it to say, having out themselves forward as honest chocolate-lovers, the game went well and there was a clear winner.

I then shared the stories of two children – one who gained a reputation for honesty, and one (fictional) child who did not.

Finally, we considered why we (because adults are not always honest either….) might avoid the truth sometimes. Perhaps in order to avoid trouble or to avoid hurting someone’s feelings; maybe in order to make ourselves seem more interesting/important; perhaps we are scared of facing consequences. We have lots of opportunities to choose either to be like Matilda (& run risk that people will not trust us) or like Tanner (and be trusted). We are known by our actions. People respect those whom they can trust, those who are honest, and feel safe with them

It often takes courage to be honest. But that doesn’t mean we always have to say everything….

Have a good weekend.

Mrs D-C