“It’s a bee!”
I hear fear in that young child’s voice – see them cower, swat the air, then run. This child believes bees are dangerous. For some children that fear is real and rooted in the knowledge that a bee sting could trigger a serious allergic reaction.
A child’s fight or flight response is a natural protective reflex – a way to stay safe in the face of perceived harm.
But staying in fear has its downsides.
- Fear narrows our focus to survival, keeping us turned inward and disconnected.
- Fear dulls our capacity for awe and wonder.
- Fear turns the world into compartments: us versus them, human versus more-than-human.
- Fear prevents us from seeing the elegant web of reciprocity we are a part of.
- Fear simplifies what is, in truth, a beautifully complex world.
A bumble bee lands on a flower and unhooks her flight muscles from her wings so that she can vibrate her wings without taking off. The wings’ vibration is music – an audible middle C – and that sweet music inspires the flower to release its pollen. It’s a small act of magic.
(Ann Pelo, Margie Carter, Cup, p.8)
In the forward of the inspiring book Cup, Ann Pelo and Margie Carter ask: “Who leads the dance of bees and pollen…. What begets what?’
Fear, when left untended, can shape our beliefs and choices in ways we barely notice. It can quietly pull the strings of our actions, tightening our view of the world.
How could we, metaphorically, unhook our fight or flight wings amid fear? What courage and curiosity might we nurture? What small acts of magic might blossom with children, families, communities, country, and in our relationships with the more-than-human world? As educators and citizens of this planet what role will we play?
The book Cup – a vibrant vessel of learning and creativity Bridgette Towle and Angela Heape is one of many profound and inspirational books in the ROW (Reimagining Our Work) collection.
The ROW book collection invites readers to discover how early childhood educators in the field are reimagining their work and thinking alongside children.
Discover the full ROW collection here: https://hub.exchangepress.com/get-involved/row/books/
Find my review of the ROW book You Can’t Celebrate That! Navigating the Deep Waters of Social Justice by Nadia Jaboneta at Early Learning Café https://earlylearningcafe.com/you-cant-celebrate-that-by-nadia-jaboneta