Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/honoring-the-essential-self/5021116/
VIGNETTE:Mia, an early childhood teacher, brought flowers from her yard into the classroom for the children to enjoy. She had arranged them carefully in one of her favorite vases and had placed it on a shelf near the art area. Four-year-old Toni walked over to the flowers and started to pinch off some of the blossoms. She carefully cupped them in her hands and carried them over to the table where she had been trying to make a crown. Toni’s cousin had been a flower girl in a wedding over the weekend and wore a flower crown. Toni wanted to make a crown of her own. She glued the blossoms to a strip of cardstock. Pleased with the way this was working, Toni went back to the vase to get more blossoms. Mia looked up just then, walked over quickly, and told Toni to stop. “You may not pick those flowers,” said Mia. “They’re not just for you; they’re for everyone. Look, you’ve already spoiled the bouquet.” Toni walked back to the table where she had been working, picked up her unfinished crown, and threw it in a trash can. She spent the rest of the day waiting for her mother ...