Sarah Shares: A Beginner’s Mind

There’s a term called “beginner’s mind” in Zen Buddhism that I have learned through practicing mindfulness. One of the gifts of working with children is having a constant reminder of their fresh perspective. You can watch a child and see them learning in every single moment and interaction. Each of us can learn a lot through their modeling—their curiosity and wonder. 

This week, there were exciting moments at school when children would rush to the window to marvel at the snow falling. (A strange sign of the times that we needed to arrange for them to take turns at the window, to allow for social distancing.) Yesterday afternoon, as toddlers left school for the day, many of them with new snow boots on, we got to witness what was for many of them the first time they experienced setting foot in snow, feeling the sharpness of cold, cold air in their lungs. 

As we move into the new year, may we each practice seeing things as freshly and new as our children do, with appreciation and openness, learning all along the way.