Journey of an Acorn and You!

March 26, 2020

Warm greetings, 

Acorns are like magic to me!  Just as the leaves reach there deepest green for the year the soft thuds of acorns begin hitting the roof and remind me that new growth is already in progress. At school with my 5th & 6th graders, we dig through a shopping bag of acorns and explore the journey of an acorn.  We hold an acorn in our hand and imagine the tree within the shell. We talk about what would happen if we left our acorns on the floor of our classroom rather than planting them into the soil. We discuss what would happen if we never watered our planted acorn or allowed it exposure to the warmth of the sun.  Then the fun of the metaphor begins!

The Metaphor: 

1.  Do the acorns have all the ingredients within themselves to fulfill their purpose?  

2.  Are there times when we don’t plant ourselves; maybe spending hours on end with electronic games and videos?  

3.  Are there times we don’t eat enough nutritious foods or spend enough time being curious about our interests such as outside exploration, studying different subjects, reading, or talking to people about their perspective? 

4.  Who are the people that bring sunshine into your world; the ones that want the best for you even if that means giving you hard truths?   

5.  How do you feel when you compare yourself to others, and is this a useful practice or is it better to recognize our strengths and work with those?  

The kids then take an acorn for their pocket as a reminder that they have all they need to fulfill their purpose.  Then they plant an acorn to remind them that we must plant ourselves and be willing to go through hard times, and continue to do the hard work of sprouting roots and leaves.  

You do have all you need, even if you don’t recognize it.  

Peace and love, 

Kelley