Pollinating Owls
Remember the last time you saw a butterfly, what did it do? How did the sight of the butterfly make you feel? Were you surprised; were you inspired to look at the world with slightly different eyes in that moment? What happened after your surprise butterfly?
All week we’ve explored the process of pollination and all week I’ve been noticing the similarities of our owls with our very important pollinators. The way bees, bats, birds, and butterflies spread pollen is a lot like the way our owls spread joy. Pollinators bop from one flower to another. While they drink sweet nectar and hang out on a flower they get dusted with pollen and then carry one flower’s pollen to the next, pollinating the garden. The work of pollinators is essential as we need pollinators in order to grow food and support our Earth. Pollinators have a big impact on humans just like kids, our Acton owls, have a big impact too!
Just like a bee or butterfly learners are bopping from one friend to another saying “wow, you tried really hard” and “that was so creative, you inspired me”. Sometimes joy pollinating involves no words at all. Just like you watch a butterfly glide through your garden I’ve been watching learners glide with a DJ track in their mind with coordinating snaps, dance moves as learners experience deep flow working with one material and then the next, and the imaginative play of a learner transforming into a monkey on the way out of the studio into the garden. Learners too get pollinated with joy and often if one learner starts to dance a few others are not far behind. The joyful hive mind is infectious!
These surprises cause us adults to pause, take a second glance, and feel sparked with joy. Sometimes though, the rush of the day or the need for it to go our way interrupts our owl pollinators. Benjamin Zander, pianist, conductor, and motivational speaker equates success with how many shining eyes are around you. Zander asks “Who am I being that my children’s eyes are not shining?” I ask you to look around this week. Are you noticing the eyes of your owl butterfly? Are there more opportunities for your owl’s eyes to shine? Are there more opportunities for you to lean in and your eyes to shine? How does your owl pollinate your life? Is it when you see their big eyes full of wonder, when they have the case of the giggles, or when your owl is grooving to the dance beats?