I Know the River Loves Me

When we see ourselves reflected in our environment, something happens within us. We are calmed, soothed, validated in a way that has no thoughts or words. An osmotic communication that we are, we belong. So fundamental that it goes without saying, it is about being, being here now.

In the classroom, I have had the privilege of working with what I call the “stressed out” kids. Many of whom not only don’t see themselves in the white faces in the books at school or in the library, but sometimes not even in the few brown faces that exist. Their experiences are complicated and layered. Beyond their childhood awareness, their lives are rooted in the basic power dynamics of our culture that relate to race and economics and how those dynamics often affect communities and families. They are children, so they are brave and resilient and have taught me a great deal. And they have reminded me of many of my own lessons as a child and much of what my father taught me.

When I was asked to write and not just illustrate children’s books I was immediately drawn to share what sustained me as a child. In my first book, My Colors, My World/ Mis Colores, Mi Mundo, I began the conversation of finding one’s self, one’s reflection in nature. My father didn’t have words for what he experienced in the United States as a child. When he was 5 years old he was placed in an all English speaking school when he spoke only Spanish. There were no bilingual books or teachers or parents. Only him. From his stories I sensed that although he didn’t find himself reflected in the dominant culture around him, it was through his relationships with the desert and with animals that he knew his true self and kept himself solid. When I was a child he shared his engagement with nature with me so that I saw it as part of him and a part of me. He taught me on a deep level that we belong to the natural world and it is our ally and friend.

In I Know the River Loves Me/Yo Se Que el Rio Me Ama I share that not only can we find ourselves in nature like in My Colors, My World/ Mis Colores, Mi Mundo, but that we can have a relationship with her. We can love nature and she can love us back. I believe this is important because there are times when we will not easily fit into a new culture or the power dynamics that affect our lives, but through our awareness of and relationship with nature, we can know that we belong where we are and we are loved at all times. When we sense that we belong in the world we can learn and expand with greater ease and grace. Belonging and love always support our ability to learn, to be and to become empowered beings in a world we can trust is ours.

The unspoken story about the little girl in My Colors, My World/ Mis Colores, Mi Mundo, is that she does not see herself in school or library books, but she still needs to see herself. Her keen eye opens to the power and beauty of the brilliant sunset and there she is. Through this she is expanded and able to take flight. At the closing of I Know the River Loves Me/Yo Se Que el Rio Me Ama, the little girl walks with joy and confidence knowing that her friend is always there waiting for her. The stable and constant love of the river transforms her so that she is part of it.

When we teach I believe we must always begin with ourselves. So in this moment I invite you to become aware of the sky. Are there clouds? Can you feel a breeze? Remember how your hair feels in a soft breeze, a strong wind? Is it raining? Foggy? Snowing? What color is the sky? What’s your favorite time of sky? Do you know a river? An ocean? A mountain? A forest? A valley? A lake?

There is so much to be aware of, to hold us, to love and be loved by. We are a part of all this. And it is a reflection of us. Are you a tree? A sunset? A fish?

Know that you belong exactly where you are. Notice all the ways that nature is loving you right now, even the air, holding you in the perfect place. This moment, this world is yours.

-Excerpt taken from the article “I Know the River Loves Me” written by Maya to be included in the book by Nancy Hadaway and Terrell Young, professors at Washington State University, tentatively titled Matching Books and Readers: Helping Children Learning English, set to be published in Summer 2010.

Filed under Power of Reflection, The Creative Process | Tags: children, creativity, reflection | Comments (2)