Kid Therapy

Old Man Mosie, sick in the head. Called for the doctor and the doctor said.

“Please step forward, turn around.Do the Hokey Pokey and 

Get out of town!”

 

My whole life I’ve wondered, “What am I here for?” Not in a general sense, but in a specific 

sense, the old Greek notion of the Fates (Morai) assigning a destiny to each human incarnation. So less “What am I here for?” and more “What am I here for?”

 

The answer has shifted throughout my life. I’ve toyed around with spiritually enlightened Zen student, jazz musician, keeper of community, good parent, writer and yes, teacher. I wonder if my main job is to be an advocate for children. I just keep coming back to the delight I feel in each and every class I’ve taught with kids this past post-retirement 4 years— and most of them the 45 years before that. So perhaps the brunt of my Confession in this Blog is the simple, but radical, thought that “the kids are all right.” In fact, often so much better than us hopeless adults. 

 

Take yesterday. I introduced the song Old Man Mosie to 3^rd graders by asking them if any had every been sick and gone to the doctor. Of course, they all had. Then I asked if they felt sick in their head— sad, lonely, filled with dark thoughts— who they should go to. One answered “A therapist.” 

 

“Okay,” I said, “Let’s pretend that you’re my therapist and I came to you with because I was depressed. What would you advise?” Listen to their answers.

 

ˆ”Breathe in. Breathe out.”

“ Go to your Bestie and talk it over.”

“Read, read, read.”

“Sleep.”

“Find the things you love to do and do them.”

“Rest.”

And one who simply sat cross-legged, closed her eyes and gently intoned, “Om.”

 

Ah, the wisdom of 8-year olds. We went on to the sing the song and listened to Old Man Mosie’s doctor’s advice:

 

“Please step forward.” -Initiate your own change and move toward your own healing.

“Turn around.” – Like a dog searching for the optimum comfortable posture. 

“Do the Hokey Pokey.” – For goodness sense, dance!

“Get out of town!”- Get a new point of view, see how others live, learn from them, notice how they’re going through the same things. 

 

We sang the song, played the game, played an arrangement on the Orff instruments and had a marvelous time. At the end of class, I asked, “Who feels happier than when you walked in?” The hands shot up. 

 

Kids. You gotta love ‘em.