Devon lights the fire from the East at a recent graduation. The East is the position of Insight - how appropriate!
Six months ago, a fourteen year old boy’s life was changed. He was part of a wilderness expedition in the Blue Ridge Mountains that lasted 6 weeks! He has given me a journal entry of his from the expedition to help make a point about how important it was for him to have space and time to discover what is real and true…It is printed below:
WHO AM I?
I love like a rose, without any thorns
I am strong like a bull, without any horns
I fight like a soldier, without a gun
I am not the moon, nor the sun
I am both of these, mixed into one
I am yin and yang
Brother and sister
Misses and mister
I am not the question, nor the answer
I am not the song, nor the dancer
I am not the tree, nor the plant
I am not the can, or the can’t
Who am I?
A soul from heaven
I am God’s child
My name is Devon
WOW! What deep insight from this young man! When I asked Devon if I could share his poem in this blog, I also asked him what he had done to arrive at this point of clarity. His answer, “Well, I was in the wilderness for a long time, and I didn’t have any video games, and the trip leaders gave me time to write about what I was learning.”
Devon’s formula: Time plus Natural Environment minus Distractions plus Reflection equals Insight!
Right on Devon! What is Real and True is available for all of us to discover.
In what ways are you able to reflect on your life lessons and gain some insight? What can you do to find your time and space and write about what you are learning?
Seek and ye shall find!
Cherokee Creek Boys School is a therapeutic boarding school for middle-school boys, ages 11-15, located in Upstate South Carolina.
Beautiful.
I don’t even know what to say. What a touching, special poem. We all need to remember Devon’s formula.
I am touched by this poem and impressed by his insights! Oh, how touching. I happen to know Devon and his family. What an accomplishment. I am proud of him and the way he thinks.
I wonder if you have summer camps for children of similar age.
Incredible and powerful poem. The depth and insight are remarkble for any age, let alone a 14 yr old boy. Thank you so much for sharing.
Devon’s poem is lovely to read and the formula is a proven winner. As parents, we need to make sure we model this formula ourselves, not just imposing it on our sons! We are all on a journey of self-discovery, or we should be. If our journey stops, we stagnate and our families do too. Here’s me recommitting to keeping my own journey going. 🙂
I am so glad that Devon’s poem has made such a positive impact already. He was able to read the comments and he wanted me to pass along a great big thanks to everyone who has responded to his poem. What a great example of a “learning community” we all have become.
The words of a master! inspiring and so rich! Blessings on him!
Hi, thank you all for your support and comments they mean a lot. I have recently graduated and I am on to start another journey in my life. With a strong foundation, thanks to all of you and your support. I will embark on this path with a supportive and understanding family, and foundation from CCBS