Sep 14 2016

Living History at Mahaffie

With the kid’s Kansas City Passport to Adventure, the adventure always started in the car with learning. En route I handed them their own passport and gave them the name of the place we were going, making them sound out the words and finding the page in their book. They competitively searched until they could find the page and look at the picture of where we were headed. This also made it important for the kids to proudly reopen their book to the correct page to collect their stamp when we got there.

Looking at the books on the ride to an adventure always made the kids look ahead for where they wanted to travel to next. One picture they always stopped on and couldn’t wait to check out was Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm. This also became Parker’s favorite adventure of the summer and one my mom said she wants us to go again and bring her along.

On a near hundred degree day we decided it was finally the day to make the trip to Olathe and investigate what Mahaffie was all about. Due to the heat, we were about the only guests on the property and received undivided and personal attention from the farm staff dressed in 18th century attire. The farm itself was a landmark for stagecoach travelers headed west, where they could stop for a hot meal and restock supplies. We toured the actual farmhouse and learned about the Mahaffie family.

The kids were intrigued by the kitchen set-up in the basement of the home. I quizzed them on where traditional kitchen equipment was located to help them discover how they would wash dishes, keep food cold and cook. The woman working in the kitchen was patient to show them the inside of the wood burning stove, how coffee was made, to answer their inquisitive minds and offer them cookies which were made in the kitchen. I was alarmed at the thoughtfulness of the questions the kids were asking, considering how could they see with no electricity? The hostess showed them lanterns and demonstrated how it took the place of lights.

We stepped out of the house and headed to the barn where another hostess met us outside to show the kids the horses. She escorted us into the barn to talk about the stagecoaches and encouraged the kids to climb aboard the oldest one they had at the farm. Once the horses were harnessed up to another stagecoach we took a ride all to ourselves. The kids bounced along looking out the windows with silent gleeful smiles until Parker interrupted with “This is the best day ever.”

We also checked out a smaller barn where the blacksmith allowed the kids to take turns helping him stoke the fire and then hammer an iron into a hook. I felt humbled and grateful to have this man working the fire for our enjoyment on such a hot day. He and the others on the farm all were gracious to give us the experience and attention to make this adventure amazing.

Before we could leave the farm, the kids also experienced how they would have been washing clothes if they were born centuries ago. I don’t think they would have been so happy to be splashing rags into water if it were their job, they certainly enjoyed it at the Mahaffie Farm though.

Before entering the farm, we were directed through a building to pay the entrance fee. We ended our trip back in the building where there is a small museum with more to read about the farm and history of Olathe. The kids tried on farm clothes and created mail to simulate how mail used to be delivered by stagecoach.

I was never a fan of learning about history in school, experiencing history is so much better. We will definitely be back to another adventure at Mahaffie Stagecoach, next time on a cooler day and I will bring my mom along too.

Sep 13 2016

Kemper Outdoor Adventure

One hot afternoon at the end of June, we found ourselves set off for another adventure to fulfill out Kansas City Passport to Adventure book. This time we stepped into the scenic landscape near Lake Jocomo in Blue Springs, Missouri at the Kemper Outdoor Education Center. It was clear they had amazing day camps where kids were canoeing on a pond and friendly camp counselors aimed us on path to hike. The path took us over a marshy area with a long wooden boardwalk and lead to prairie and forest areas. With the heat and hungry irritability, we decided we had seen enough and retreated to the cabin to collect our passport stamp. Inside the kids not only got a stamp, they got to select a small nature figurine. Parker got a turtle while Jones picked up a plastic ant to take home and fool Mom when she walked in the door.

We were also instructed to not miss the hoofed animal enclosure just a short ride around the lake. There Jones fed an antelope through the fence with some other patrons who brought carrots. Since Parker’s mood reflected the heat of the day, I required her to ride with her eyes closed home from Kemper (in hopes she would nod off and get some much-needed rest.) Jones softly sang a lullaby about stop lights to the tune of “Twinkle Twinkle” to her the whole way home.

Kemper Outdoor and the hoofed enclosure were two unique finds for outdoor fun in Kansas City. I would take advantage of participating in the activities they offer, enjoying another hike or returning to check on the antelope up close – this time I will know to bring some carrots.

Sep 12 2016

Kindergarten Tears

My daughter started kindergarten and the immediate response from people I have encountered since has been “Were there tears?” The short answer is no not that morning anyway, we all went to school smiling and prepared for this new experience. We did have a tearful exchange long after bedtime the night before the first day, Parker stated she could not sleep and was full of anxiety.

“My friends won’t be there, what if I won’t have any friends?” she muttered out in between sobbing. After her body and mind finally relaxed she woke up excited and ready to put on her new outfit declaring “I look fresh.”

The tears I may or may not have been shedding were related to the stress of delaying and then choosing a kindergarten. I felt my daughter was kindergarten ready last year, therefore 1st grade ready now… Unfortunately birth date restrictions prohibit or mandate kids start according to a standardized system of laws out of my control. So I waited, continuing her education through Montessori school and at home. There were so many things I loved about her school, it

The Montessori school also offered ballet lessons, which Parker’s teacher Ms. Deja taught. This is after the recital in June 2016.

made the search for kindergarten all the more emotional. Parker had the same adoring teachers for three years, ones who I faithfully trusted and appreciated. She had home cooked, healthy lunches and I knew she was eating better than what I would have been scrambling together at home for her noon meal. Her classroom was autonomous, she got to engage in activities she was interested in and learned at her own level. Over the course of three years I watched Parker thrive, put creative effort and pride in her work and challenge herself to learn more. Her school does offer kindergarten and it was a consideration to stay. However, I knew our attachment was already so strong after three years, if we stayed a fourth I would be desperate to keep her in the pre-school setting until college.

An example of the type of work Parker was doing in Montessori school. She individually punched out states, labeled, puzzled, glued and painted her own maps of the United States, Australia, North America and South America.

With so much to love about Parker’s Montessori school, I may have been hyper critical of other schools when checking out kindergartens. I researched online last fall, had information packets sent and began touring. I walked the halls of not one, not two but eight different elementary schools. Some tours were more out of curiosity or comparison purposes, I wanted to really see the variety. I toured public schools, a charter Montessori school, private schools, religious schools and a language immersion school. I asked a lot of questions and I kept a lot of my observations and judgements to myself. There were things I liked about each school individually and equally unfavorable items everywhere too. I’ll admit to being personally critical of common core curriculum and an advocate for increasing teacher’s salaries due to their inadequate financial appreciation. I examined the diversity of the students and staff, the quality of work hanging on the walls, the cleanliness and organization of the buildings, and the menu of food served in the cafeteria in each elementary school.

Ultimately I came down to two favorites. The first happens to be the closest private school to our home and one which I was surprised to enjoy so much. It was a small school with one classroom per grade level and went up to grade twelve. Their quality of work, academic achievement, atmosphere and friendliness of the students (all grade levels) far exceeded any other school I toured. Their art teacher and classroom were impressive and since Parker toured with me, she continued to talk about it for months. I was also ecstatic about their lunch menu as it was another school with daily cooked, healthy farm-fresh ingredients. As if this weren’t enough – no common core. The curriculum is structured as Classical Christian and would require memorization of bible versus. While there is a lot to admire about Classical Christian, including the cursive handwriting she would be practicing this year and the focus on grammar, logic and rhetoric, I am not Christian and know little about the bible.

The other favorite school I considered is one modeled from Waldorf education. A short YouTube explanation of Waldorf can be viewed by clicking here. The belief is music, theater, literature and writing need to not just be learned but experienced. They aim to cultivate a desire to learn within each individual child and eliminate the need for competitive testing. My artistically inclined five year old would be encouraged to dance, perform and learn about her world by exploring on their seven acre rural property. Students in the school had cubbies containing slickers, hats and rain boots because they spent a lot of time out in the gardens no matter the weather. When we viewed the school it was for a May Pole Celebration, I observed teachers redirecting students by singing them back into attention. Parker participated in a treasure hunt in the sandbox to find shells, rocks and feathers which she got to add to a fairy house she made out of clay. While students hung upside down from trees, swung on tire swings and picnicked with their patchouli smelling dreadlocked parents, I knew this would be the school to encourage her creativity. About half-way through the Native American story puppet show, when the scent of the burning sage had worn off, I realized it may be unrealistic to plan to attend a school so far from home.

Based on so many variables, cost and distance to my preferred schools, it seemed like I would be having issues no matter where she attended. Ultimately we chose the free public school option with the hope she would be assigned to the kindergarten teacher with the most experience as we indicated to the principal. Unfortunately our request was not respected and she was added to the classroom with a first year teacher with the principals statement “Don’t worry, it will be great.” And every day since the teacher comments “Parker did great.” I understand the teacher is commenting on her behavior, which compared to peers in her class, I’m sure the teacher feels she hit the jackpot with my daughter. Except the quality of work Parker brings home has declined from

Quality public education.

what I know she is capable of, not great. The countless worksheets she brings home on a daily basis is equivalent to introductory work she is too advanced for, not great. And the post-it notes I found in her backpack this morning with words Parker said her teacher wrote for her to copy: “speggitti” and “basktball,” really not great. The excitement she had for school and learning is transitioning to becoming a chore and while this happens for many students, it definitely shouldn’t happen in kindergarten.

More tears may be shed over kindergarten, it may be me or it may be her teacher and principal – and we haven’t even gotten to the common core math shenanigans yet. I think the worst part is knowing my daughter has parents who will advocate for her and ensure she gets what she needs, while there are a lot of other kids who have to settle for what they get and will not meet their full potential. I will be speaking with her teacher and without improvement, the principal. Choosing a kindergarten took more effort and thoughtfulness than I took in choosing a college, however, just like in college – there is always an option to transfer.

How would you recommend speaking to the teacher in a way that will promote change without making her offended? Or would you abandon the school?

Aug 23 2016

Gorman Passport Adventure

Our next trip for the Kansas City’s Passport to Adventure was to the Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center. I was most surprised and slightly embarrassed to find this little eight acre gem nestled into the city near the Country Club Plaza. There is no telling how many 17anitabgordonILKC times I’ve driven right by it and never paid attention. This discovery center has both indoor and outdoor adventures to explore. Inside there were classrooms (I imagine were for scout meetings, field trips and summer camps) filled with nature experimentation and live animals. On a separate wing of the building we could hear the high energy fun of a group of day campers. A gift shop and information counter are to the right at the entrance for anyone looking for information on wildlife, plants and conservation. The person at the information desk was excited to greet the kids and patiently answered their four and five year old questions, she also offered each kid an animal temporary tattoo. The building had a formal presentation area facing a wall of windows where my two adventurers found entertainment in performing dances and songs to an audience of one after our hike outdoors. The building also is an example for sustainable features like geothermal and water waste systems. 18anitabgordonILKC

The eight acres outside provides nature trails lines with native plants to demonstrate how beautiful nature can be in an urban setting. The kids enjoyed picking the paths and alternating between the wood chip trails through the foliage and the paved walkway. We hopped over a creek, watched water bugs on the ponds, identified details on flowers and plants, and climbed logs in the outdoor classroom. Now that I am aware of the Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center, I look forward to checking out more events there. Next month alone they will have several story times, a presentation on Missouri Bats and Monarch Mania. 19anitabgordonILKC

Following our outing to the Discovery Center, we cooled off at Loose Park’s splash pad. One thing I love about Kansas City is the many free splash park areas were kids, and parents alike, can go to play during the summer time. We made a quick wardrobe change in the car, brought in our water bottles and some water toys and smiled through the rest of the afternoon.

21sprayparkILKC

Jul 28 2016

KC Passport Stamp #2

Our second stop with the Kansas City Passport to Adventure took us to the Beanstalk Children’s Garden. It is a small community garden we have passed nearby dozens of times, with it’s close proximity to the Kansas City Zoo, though we never knew it existed. Thankfully our Passport to Adventure book brought us in search of the welcoming plot filled with raised gardens, cheery volunteers and a small water feature. We were encouraged to explore the plants and invited to pick ripe raspberries to eat fresh. 15jonesIL

I quizzed the kids with age appropriate questions about where fruits and vegetables grow, we looked at the shapes of leaves and memorized the names of some of the grain plants – a necessity for earning a stamp at the Beanstalk Children’s Garden. Unfortunately due to the outside temperature the day we visited, we did not stay for long and the kids seemed to enjoy their hands in the fountain the most while requesting that I feed them raspberries.

It was a unique spot in Kansas City I was happy to get to see and may be some place to return in the future for another adventure.

16gardenIL

Jul 13 2016

Summer Passport

I am grateful for the time I get this summer to spend with my five-year-old daughter and my friend’s four-year-old son. The two have grown up together and lovingly refer to each other as “Brother” and “Sister.” They do behave a lot like siblings when spending any volume of time together; they truly adore each other though the laughter can easily turn to bickering and arguments – especially when not properly fed, hydrated and entertained. At the start of the summer, the plan was some weeks I would have the two together three days during the week. I knew this would require some thrifty creativity.

In the first week we had already gone to some of our favorite and free spots; Matt Ross Community Center (for their indoor play gym), Kaleidoscope (the art activity center at Hallmark), and Crown Center (The Adventures of Mr. Potato Head Exhibit). I knew the air conditioned play would not last and we would have to be finding some unique outdoor activities too. After the first few days of making it up as I went along, I stumbled upon an idea which would help guide our summer experiences. I found Kansas City’s Passport to Adventure created by The Interpretive Site Coalition; “a not-for-profit organization comprised of historical sites, museums, nature centers and like agencies in the Kansas City region.”

I picked up two passports and have each child bring their own on each adventure we attend now. The passport contains nineteen different locations to visit around the city, information about each location including address, hours of operation and admission fees (though most are free). At each location there is a question for the kids to answer about what they see or learn on the visit and they provide their answer to an employee to earn a stamp.

While the kids are excited about earning stamps and playing, I am interested in checking out places in Kansas City I have never visited and avoiding fussing between the two by keeping our adventures fresh and new each day.

Our first adventure was to Burr Oak Woods, or as Jones called it, “Broke.” This park contains 1,071 acres of forest and prairie, with hiking trails, picnic areas and a discovery nature center. Upon entering the park I encouraged the kids to look for wildlife and to my surprise, the four year old voice in the back seat quickly responded with “There’s a deer.” I put the car in reverse and we sat to watch a deer in the prairie for a few minutes before continuing on our path. We started with a short hike on the trail so I packed chemical free bug 07jonesIL spray and bottles of water to stay comfortable in the heat. Because of the tree coverage and small breeze the June temperature didn’t feel as bad as I dreaded. We listened to the sounds of nature, climbed on logs and held hands until their little legs were tired and then we went to explore the nature center. 08jonesIL

Inside the nature center there was a 3,000 gallon aquarium with Missouri fish, smaller tanks for snakes, frogs and turtles and a long wall of windows for wildlife viewing out back. Along with hummingbirds, squirrels and finches there also happened to be a gang of wild turkeys wondering through. The kids turned every knob, flipped every switch and pulled every lever to explore all of what the exhibit offered. They had the children’s play area all to themselves where they put on a puppet show from a hole in a log they could crawl into. The kids had a blast sliding down the slide and using their imaginations to learn and grow.

Burr Oak Woods is definitely worth the trip to Blue Springs to enjoy the hiking and the nature center. You can also pick up a passport there to begin your own summer adventures.

May 18 2016

Strawberry Adventure

My family loves an adventure, sometimes just a ride in the car with no destination in mind will lead us to creating fantastic memories. On this particular day, we did have a plan to try something we hadn’t done together before. We found ourselves near Edgerton, KS on a family farm for strawberry picking. The fields at The Gieringer’s Orchard wafted with the 01strawberry sweet fruity fragrance I had engraved in my childhood memory bank from the back corner of our yard in Minnesota. It was refreshing to crouch down and search deep into the leaves to find the most perfectly ripe fruit others had passed by. I had forgotten completely about the little white flowers on the plants and the method to plucking with the stem. Like some new adventures, Parker was hesitant at first and then enthusiastically joined in the hunt. When I noticed she had a tendency to choose tiny berries which were far from ripe, as she has an undeniable preference for tiny things… I asked her to nibble on one and tell me if she would like to eat more. Her pre-prepared it tastes good mom nodding smile turned to a bitter tongue out frown and her strawberry picking greatly improved instantly.

It was a chilly morning for May, though the temperature didn’t impede on the dozens of other strawberry pickers present there. Thankfully we were able to fill our tray before the skies opened up to a cold shower.

As we love to eat strawberries: plain, covered in chocolate or juiced with spinach. I know we will be back again soon because picking up a carton in the grocery store just won’t taste as good now. 00strawberry

Nov 5 2014

Red Hair Equals Mermaid

I will admit, Halloween really crept up on me this year. I know, it’s the same October 31st I look forward to every year, except this year we had taken three trips out of town in two months and had what felt like the rest of the month of October absorbed in my sister’s wedding. It was the weekend before Halloween when people started questioning my daughter what she was going to be for Halloween when I figured I had better pull something together.

She wavered between costume ideas, initially stating her destiny to be a princess. Of course not related to any of the princess costumes we already have at home to regularly get dressed up in. Then one morning during our typical getting the hair done routine… This consists of PJ isolated sitting on the dresser, holding my phone tuned into Youtube Cimorelli videos (Cimorelli is a girls group from California who cover major pop songs in a PG version – perfect for little ears – and Parker learns and loves all of these pop songs.) After the combing, pulling, braiding, twisting and rubber bands she eventually earns a marshmallow for cooperating. During this morning, as she is scrolling through videos and singing along to the teen lyrics in a slurred unclear of all the words kind of way, I asked her if she wanted to be a pop star for Halloween.

Of course the answer was yes. And then it was up to me to figure out what a pop star looks like in age appropriate four-year old kind of way. I figured she had some pop-star-ish clothes and we could just pick up some accessories like a microphone, play jewelry, and a wig. With her participation, she was getting into the idea of what a singer would wear on stage and loved picking out some blingy $0.50 rings.

On Friday afternoon I took Parker to school to trick or treat with her class. She had already made it clear she was not a fan of the wig during our trying out the costume at home so I brought bobby pins to staple it to her head. And when the moment came to walk into her school she began refusing the rest of her costume accessories fusing about the headphones, jewelry and handed me her microphone. In her classroom she appeared as the whiny girl, fashionable dressed with red hair – to which most people assumed she was going as Ariel the Little Mermaid. I’ve never seen Ariel in a cheetah print top, but lesson learned red hair equates to mermaid.

On Friday evening I had high hopes of capturing an image to show the true pop star image my four-year old can emulate. I imagined a scene with her in the foreground posing as she loves to do garnishing all of the pop star accessories we had planned. She’s pop out her hip, throw her arms in the air and belt out a song. Then in the background her daddy would be dressed as the bodyguard in his decade old workout shirt labeled “SECURITY,” a dark suit jacket, sunglasses and an ear piece. Then I would be standing next to him as the manager holding a clipboard, two phones and talking on one more. I envisioned this legendary Halloween 2014 picture and when it came down to it all I got was one cranky looking wild girl ready to go out and hit the streets for candy. Oh well, there’s always next year.

On Saturday we had a family adventure to the Louisburg Cider Mill. It was their final weekend for the fall festivities so PJ got ample time on the jumping pillow; it was nice to be able to stand on the sidelines and watch her enjoying herself without having to be holding hands with her. We took a hay rack ride, I found out it is my husband’s favorite fall activity. And we found our way through the giant corn maze. We let Parker take the lead and choose the paths, my husband and I played behind her tossing dried corn cobs at each other. I may have chucked one a touch too hard and his retaliation cob throw ended up with a rip in the back of my pants. “It’s not so bad, you’re wearing pink underwear right?” he said. Unfortunately it was my bare butt and a day I wish I had worn a longer shirt. The adventure ended with hot cider and apple cider donuts which made up for the end of life for my pants.

Jun 26 2013

I Love Lucy

Next month will be the five-year anniversary since moving into our current home. Remembering back to the months of house hunting with our realtor John makes me laugh. We might have been one of his more frustrating couples to work with since we had inquiries into multiple locations spread around the Kansas City metro area and fickle possibilities of what we were hoping for in our first home together. Old versus new, split level versus ranch style, garages, fireplaces, walk in closets, full renovations versus freshly done renovations, acreage versus small plots… We made it nearly impossible for him to narrow down the possibilities. After one missed opportunity in Grandview, one unaccepted offer in Overland Park, and one day too late offer in Brookside, we were exhausted with the search and prepared to find somewhere to rent when we gave it one last shot.

We returned to a house we had stopped at before in South Kansas City, we called it “the refrigerator house” since the stainless steel feature in the home we clearly remembered and liked. From the outside it looked really small, as most of the houses in the area were constructed in the 50’s with a two bedroom, one bathroom layout. This home had an addition added later to create another living space and bedroom onto the back of the house and the basement was finished off with another living space and second bathroom. There was nothing spectacular about the house, it didn’t fulfill everything we were looking for in a home and the colors were all wrong. The location was great, we feared wasting money on rent over building equity in a home and knew our first home wouldn’t be our forever home so we made an offer.

Shortly after moving in walls began getting painted, window treatments were hung and the house became our home – even after we had to repair the refrigerator. We became friendly with some neighbors and other neighbors we were seemingly invisible to with no acknowledgment at all. The first autumn in the house rolled around and I noticed a homeless woman digging in our recycling on the curb Thursday mornings before I went to work. Peering out the window I could see her torn skirt, old shoes, an over-sized coat and a scarf covering her hair. One morning I sadly watched her digging in the blue box at the end of our driveway and pull out an empty detergent pail, she carried it across our lawn and out of my view. I quickly moved to another window to catch her path from another angle, and watched as she passed across the street and added the pail to gardening tools in the yard across the street.

Eventually I met my neighbor, who I initially viewed as a homeless woman, her name is Lucy. In the past five years I have grown to love the garden growing, garbage gathering, mismatched clothes wearing, widowed friend. She explained to me how she collects pop tabs off of the cans people put in their recycling she gives to her church and the Box Top stamps she finds to bring to her granddaughter. Fearing the woman’s frail condition and level of activity I began putting our pop tabs in an envelope for her.

A few years ago Lucy’s doctor told her she needed to stop taking on so much; cleaning her house, keeping up her garden and roaming the street for treasures in trash was too much at her age. Her son’s have tried to convince her to move to a retirement community, and it seemed like during times when Lucy struggled with insomnia and confusion she considered it. Then when spring would roll around and the flowers returned to life, so did Lucy.

Having raised her family in the home, which presently has orange shag carpeting I imagine was installed about 40 years ago, she knows the neighborhood and history of previous occupants. She meets all of the neighbors, even the ones who haven’t acknowledged us in five years. She delivers flowers from her garden, often in reusable gems from recycling bins like bottles and plastic cups. During certain times of the year there are daily deliveries of flowers from Lucy, sometimes a sweet smelling surprise found on the front deck or a small bouquet in her empty milk carton from the Meals on Wheels lunch.

Five years ago I never would have guessed how I would feel about my house. I like my house, the location is great, it feels like our home, best of all I love Lucy. It’s wonderful having a neighbor who is happy to give and receive hugs, I feel humbled to hear “Bless you” from an older woman in tattered clothing, and I don’t mind getting pulled into conversations with the neighborhood historian. Plus it always puts a smile on my face to get a fresh bouquet of flowers.

Jun 4 2013

The Ants Go Marching

My Basics of Buddhism class finished last week at the Rime Buddhist Center in Kansas City. I’d highly recommend taking the course if you are interested in becoming Buddhist, are spiritually/religiously curious, or just need an excuse to commit to get out of the house once a week for twelve weeks – which all three was the case for me.

Since learning the basics, I recognize my thinking about life and relationships matches well with Buddhism. I know my Buddha-nature is begging to come with the combination of cultivating wisdom and generating loving compassion. Ultimately meditation is critical and needs to be part of my life as much as food.

Yet, while I agree with so many of the Buddhist philosophies I cannot call myself Buddhist and cannot accept all of the vows. As part of the vows taken by a wanna-be Buddhist, Eight Mahayana Precepts are agreed upon. The first precept is not killing and this is a no brainer when it comes to humans, and even most animals for this vegetarian. Except in the Buddhist tradition not killing includes all sentient beings, from the largest whale to the smallest maggot. According to the teachings, one-act of killing can carry 500 lifetimes of karmic retribution.

I learned about these vows several weeks back and they were steady on my mind while I was out raking one day. The spring weather was finally getting warm consistently so I knew the conditions were finally right for the garter snakes to be emerging. The snake population in my neighborhood is so high it could fill a hundred reptile centers and still have snakes left roaming. I have wanted them gone since the first sighting. After four years of living in my home the surprise in seeing them slinking around the grass, sunning on the bushes, and climbing up my fire pit chimney has worn off. I no longer get the chills or feel the need to run screaming, okay maybe I do get the chills and stay at least five feet away. On this day out in the yard I pondered how a Buddhist would view the snake problem, accept them as part of nature and not be ill willed towards them? Sure enough, when my raking was nearly done I turned back towards what I had already cleared to see a garter snake freshly risen from his winter estate.

Feeling as if this was a test I had predicted for myself, I gave the snake a half-smile and decided it would be Buddha-like enough to help him move out of my raking path to the other side of the fence. I gently used my rake to encourage him to the fence line where he briskly slithered through the chain-link. Pleased with my acceptance of nature and assistance

The actual snake from my yard, picture taken from a safe distance away by camera phone.

towards my not so favorite creature I went on with my chore until I heard some rustling in the area I had sent the snake. What a miracle it would be if another animal had found the snake to make a meal out of. It would still mean good karma for me since I helped him with good intention, I figured as I made my way to the fence to check.

Peaking over, it was clear my original prediction was far from true. I had helped the snake move directly into the path of another snake waiting and ready to mate. My practice at being more Buddha-like was resulting in snake babies. Challenged and not defeated by the incident with the snake, I continued to try to make efforts in my daily life to consider what would a Buddhist do? And the challenges grew from an abundance of hated snakes to hundreds of seemingly insignificant ants. I first spotted one ant on my kitchen floor. Then a few ants on the floor. Then an ant on my kitchen counter and two in my bathroom.

In the Buddhist tradition, each living creature has a connection to you and through the cycle of death and rebirth each living creature has shared a past life. Meaning the ants, the snakes and my least favorite people in the world have all been my mother and have all been your mother in a past life. This newly learned belief was present on my mind while I wiped them clean off the counter and rinsed them down the sink, feeling slightly more guilty about a few deaths in the insect world.

I tried to keep my killing to a minimum, except this past weekend I couldn’t take it any longer. The ants must have sensed my trepidation and had infiltrated my kitchen, marching in one long line up my dining room wall and along a floorboard. All apprehension of killing living beings and any thought to the ants being my loved ones was lost in the excitement of wanting them all dead. I excessively laid out poison and gleefully spoke to my tiny relatives – “Drink up guys and bring your friends.”

Buddhist, I am not. And if I am reincarnated into an ant for my karmic retribution, I promise to stay out of your kitchen.

Inspired Living KC

Inspiration can come from everywhere, you just have to slow down and notice it..

Category Kansas City