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Family
and Children
at Four Quarters
 From our inception in 1995, Four Quarters has always
seen children as our bridge to the future. If you are in the business of building
Stone Circles, you learn to think in the long term.
And
we feel it is important that all of us take responsibility for the children, for
we all have a role to play in nourishing their growth. Both as one time children
and as parents ourselves. Especially important at Four Quarters are the contributions
of our Gay and Lesbian Members, and others who by choice or circumstance do not
themselves have children. For they are the Aunts and Uncles of our extended family,
and theirs is an honored part of our tradition.
In
our early years, we always maintained a large children's care and programming
track at Four Quarters, and it was well received. But as time went by the number
of children at our gatherings increased while their attendance in child care decreased.
It seemed that as we grew and evolved the community of Members and Guests were
naturally taking on these responsibilities, far better than we ever could.
And so a phenomena was born that has since been named "The
Kids Tribe." They bound through the woods and always seem to know who has
the hot dogs.
We have been here long enough now, that
we have seen the chubby child grow into adulthood. We have married the couple
that met at a Drum Circle and then passed their new baby through the Mother Stone...
and into the arms of our community. And that child now plays and runs in the sunlight
of the High Meadow.
In a few more years to learn and love
for themselves; and take their own place in the Web of Life.
The
Kids Tribe
by Patricia (Robin) Woodruff
Dripping from a refreshing swim in Hemlock Hole, I sat on the thick branch of
a tree overhanging the water, watching my kids playing with the other children.
The sun was shining down through the Hemlocks, turning everything a shimmering
green and gold. Having brought down our raft and pool toys, the children were
climbing on, under and over them, playing some game of "sharks" that
they had just made up. The drone of cicadas was punctuated by the sounds of their
laughter. Somehow a frisbee had gotten tossed to the adults in the water and it
was now flying about. No... make that two frisbees. A few other folks were laying
on towels around the edge of the stream enjoying the warm sunshine. Off in camp
I heard someone start up an impromptu drumbeat and then someone else joined in.
I thought to myself, that if anyone needed an image of Eden, then this was it.
Laughter and sunlight and music.
Of course it
had rained the day before. The kids had put on their ponchos and gone up for a
warm cup of cocoa at the Coffee Dragons pavilion. Mama and Papa Dragon are another
set of grandparents for all the kids and acted the part. Reminding them to wash
their cups when they were done; rocking babies to sleep; applying band-aids when
needed and helping to find lost parents. Cameron (my eldest) wanted to sculpt
a little dragon out of Fimo clay for "The Dragons". He said, "Because
I just want to be nice to them. Number one, they're a great place to chat and
for another, they give the cocoa and coffee away for free. I want to give them
something." That reminded me that I wanted to put a donation in their jar
too.
The kids had come back from Coffee Dragons with the
news that the drum workshop I wanted to attend was going to be the following day,
because of the rain. Cori said that she had a really nice conversation with a
lady about knitting. "I said I would show her the scarf I was working on.
We also talked about babies cause she had a new one. And I met some new kids and
I told them to meet up at the stage. I just wanted you to know where I'd be."
She grabbed a bagel and off she ran to meet her newfound friends.
 The rain
had stopped by the time we met up with the kids again. Cameron had grabbed our
plates from camp and joined us in the dinner line for the Starving Artist. We
talked about our day over a wonderful vegetable beef stew (of course, Cameron
loaded up on the pasta instead.) The kids had started up a card game
of magical duels, then had gone on to work on their own version of Rapunzel, where
the Princess rescues the Prince from the tower. Woody and I had a chance to walk
through the Merchants Green where I found a wonderful swishy skirt; I was looking
forward to dancing in at Drum Circle that evening. Far off, we could see the kids
playing at the end of the field..
Breaking
my reverie of the previous day, my dripping partner came over to steal the towel
I was sitting on.
"What were you just thinking?"
Woody asked.
"Just that I really love that this is
such a great place for kids" I replied "They are their own Kids Tribe.
And they are learning so much without even knowing it. They worked out the rules
of that Harry Potter game, then when the younger kids got bored with that, they
switched it to something that incorporated everyone. And when they got a little
too rowdy, one of the adults came over and redirected them. It's a big extended
family. When Cori went to help the adults out with building the sweat lodge, they
didn't shoo her away because she's "only" nine. They had her hold the
door rope, which turned out to be a great help and she felt very valued."
I added,
"Cori told me that if she decides to get married, she's going to do it in
the Stone Circle. The first ring of stones would be just about done by that time.
If she has kids, I wonder what they will think of the place... The folks on the
Board talk about keeping the Land for the Seventh Generation. I guess we're off
to a good start teaching the second generation to care for the Land. Can you imagine
our great-grandchildren playing in this stream, raising a stone or even just learning
to drum?"
"Speaking of which..." Woody
said, "I checked with Autumn's mom and she said she'd watch the kids at the
swimming hole, if you want to get to that workshop."
I gave a glance at the kids happily swimming like otters and replied with a smile,
"Let me go get my drum." |
