Today’s Precept

Class, I started off, today’s precept is: “Don’t tell me the sky is the limit when there are no footprints on the moon”. I then waited as I always do after I read the precept. Their job is to talk about its meaning. There are no right or wrongs. Just conversation.

Madison who sits in the front and is often fumbling with her papers and trying to avoid lifting her voice first, spoke back almost immediately.

But Ms. Hurley, it’s all apart of God’s work!

Well, look at you getting all spiritual and philosophical! Explain please.

This lead to a conversation about where dreams come from and how connected we are to the universe.

At the end I asked them, so, is the sky the limit?

Well, yes. It is the responded.

Then we have to look past the moon when discussing our dreams in the fourth grade.

At the Fountain

Some children from Mary Mitchell at Fordham University. Even though the university sits in their neighborhood, most at this young age, never heard of it or witnessed it.

Walking through the campus was fun for them but also forced them to look at themselves and their surroundings in a different way.

The younger ones were interested in the buildings….wondering if they were among castles.

The older ones walked with caution and introspection.

While never addressing race or opportunity, the subject was thick in the air between us. While going other places in their community, (like the park or grocery store) they would wander off without question, here they stuck together and whispered about what they saw and heard.