Trees in the Wind

Image credit: Sigurd Decroos

A few months ago, a friend got me hooked up with being a substitute aide at a preschool. (Best. Job. Ever.) Before I started, I thought that since the kids were so young (3-5 yrs. old)  the classes would be loosely structured, and the kids would mostly just play the whole time. There was a lot of playing, but the schedule was surprisingly adamant (surprising to me, at least). Every teacher ordered their agendas differently, but they all had the same basic elements (opening circle, snack time, play time, recess, etc.), and each teacher did the same order every day.

My friend told me that the specific schedule was very important, but I didn't believe her until right after spring break. The first few days back were crazy because the kids had gotten used to their at-home or on-vacation schedule and they needed time to get adjusted back to the school schedule. After those few days, I definitely understand how vital routine is to suppress total chaos.

On the other hand, a different friend told me one time that routine is the bane of happiness. (I wish I could remember her exact words.) Even though I now understand the importance of routine, I can also see her point. If we do the same things day after day after day, we'll probably get bored and/or too content with our lives. We need to stretch and do things out of our routine so we can get better.

I think that everyone - consciously or unconsciously - makes a plan for each day. I know I do that, and when something comes up that I'm not expecting, I sometimes get kinda upset. Realizing that has helped me understand why my mom always wants to write gazillions things on her Mom's Stuff (her planner, basically), and why she sometimes gets upset when we forget to tell her things to write down. But at the same time, life happens, stuff comes up - we need to be flexible to changes in our plans.

I suppose it just goes back to opposition in all things: we need to feel chaos to appreciate order, and vice verse. This old Chinese proverb says it best: "The tree that does not bend with the wind will be broken by the wind." A tree has structure so it can stand strong, but it also has flexibility so it can withstand the wind. Just like strong trees, we need to have structure and be flexible so we can be strong and withstand the winds of the unexpected.