I was grieving a bit, this morning -- after a sunny long weekend, I awoke to a grey and rainy school day... my sons also woke grey and rainy. It is that time of year, here in the Pacific Northwest. Children who attend public or private schools are returning to them. And home schools (like ours) are also starting up.
In an attempt to brighten up our darkening skies, I thought I would follow the British pattern -- we would think of this as the 'Michaelmas Term' -- the term that extends from September to Christmas. So I started looking for something artistic to illustrate...
"Brave and true will I be,
Each good deed sets me free,
Each kind word makes me strong.
I will fight for the right!
I will conquer the wrong!
Sword of Michael brightly gleaming,
Down to earth its light is streaming,
May we see its shining rays,
In the Winter's darkest days."
And I found this verse on a lovely Squidoo site here which offers all sorts of ideas for celebrating the season.
I also found another popular Waldorf verse which I thought might appeal to my two boys;
Brave Saint Michael is my guide
As free and fearless forth I ride
With courage of Saint George of old
I dare to fight fierce dragons bold.
Mind, we are not Catholic but I have always liked the Archangel Michael and though the story of George and the dragon bothers me (I tend to sympathize with the dragon), there are versions of it that I do like...
So I think the boys and I will read that book for our George story... and maybe illustrate it. It is a much gentler version. Though Bruno Bettleheim
(The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales
) would surely disagree with my choice.
) would surely disagree with my choice.
Still, it is apple picking, sauce making, leaf chasing season -- so it can't be all bad, can it? And maybe a dragon will blow across the sky and spark a light in my children's eyes and we will see a bit of blue sky and sunlight to chase in the waning of the year. One can always hope. One can always hope.
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