by Robin Mitzcavitch, Director of Religious Exploration

I am jumping for joy because the temperatures are rising, the sun is out, and my finger is healing. Yes, I had a “sewing accident” and then 12 stitches in my finger two Fridays ago. I have never “run over” my finger with a rotary cutter in the 30 years that I’ve been rotary cutting fabric, but there’s a first time for everything, and a lesson to be learned.  Lesson: “Robin, pay attention, please!”

Some things I love to pay attention to are: people in photographs, mixed media and fiber art pieces, things in nature….especially flowers and birds, and the young folks in my life. Paying attention involves the art of looking at and appreciating the small details that are beautiful and wondrous. For me, attention means to step out of the whirling world and see what’s really happening in front of me.  For me also, that’s often a challenge.

With the kids this month during Religious Exploration classes, we are talking about… guess what? Yup, paying attention. We’re exploring ways to notice things that don’t seem equitable in this world. We’re learning to breathe deeply and take a moment to identify what we feel inside of our bodies. We are offering activities to highlight how we can pay attention to our earth and our interdependent web. We are acknowledging the ways that people are unique and what makes that so important and beautiful.

And I’ve been thinking (watch out!)….. about paying attention, that phrase, and how us grown-ups use it. 

I think we spend a lot of time telling kids to pay attention, especially when we’re trying to “teach them something.”  Imagine this scenario:  I’m in a class and I’m speaking and people don’t seem to be paying attention to what I’m saying (shock!) I sometimes sit back, observe, and “pay attention” to what the kids are paying attention to at that moment. Mostly, it seems, they’re paying attention to each other. They’re talking to each other about things that have happened during the weekend so far. They’re talking to each other about toys that they’re interested in, games they are playing, things that happened at school. Is this a bad way of them paying attention in class? In an actual school setting it could be disruptive in absorbing math skills; but in our community I feel like it is awesome. 

When kids are building community, they will remember those interactions far longer than they will remember a lesson about a famous UU person.  But I digress and want to highlight an important detail. I think the topics presented in our RE classes are substantial and relatable and important. I hope the kids do too. To ask a student to pay attention in our setting, is framed with the idea of respecting, honoring, and hearing one another. Paying attention is to have empathy, to understand that you too desire attention when trying to share with others. Our children and youth are very good at paying attention to messages delivered with authenticity, love, respect, and care.

And you have to know that with all the lessons that we try to share with our younger people, the fact is, us grown-ups also need these lessons too, and sometimes even more so.  Again, I remind myself to ”pay attention please, Robin!”

With Love for the Little Things,

Robin Mitzcavitch