In today's session the elementary children learned about the third Unitarian Universalist Source, expressed in children's language as "the ethical and spiritual wisdom of the world's religions." We learned what Hinduism teaches us about reverence for life and living without harming animals. We heard a Hindu story about the god, Ganesha, whose mother takes the form of a cat without his knowledge. Ganesha chases and torments the cat without thinking, believing he is "playing", only to learn upon returning home that he actually had been tormenting his own mother. We also thought about ways that animals communicate without words.
Explore the topic together as a family: Talk about animals your family has contact with and how they communicate. Encourage your child to be a scientific observer, watching animals and noting their behaviors in various situations. Seek out opportunities to observe many different creatures, preferably uncaged animals in their natural settings. Always be careful and respectful of an animal's territory! Visit a 4-H show or a farm to observe domesticated animals Visit an animal shelter or wildlife rehabilitation center. You might want to explore the idea of serving as a foster family for a homeless dog or cat.
Create a family ritual: As a family, create a blessing or prayer for animals. List your hopes and wishes for the animals of your acquaintance, as well as the animals of the world. This can be a nice alternative to a mealtime grace, or bedtime prayers.
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