I've been witness to a week of events that has me musing about commitments...
Pala made a commitment, in the form of an
oath, to become a citizen of the United States of America.
(that's him - all the way on the right)
About 70 other folks from 17 different countries made that oath with him. All for different reasons, I am sure. Pala, as a Tibetan who (until Wednesday,) had Nepali citizenship, didn't necessarily feel like he was "renouncing" a piece of himself by taking on this allegience to the US. I am sure he would have felt differently should he have the option of maintaining a Tibetan citizenship that would be recognized internationally. But for those who were giving up the citizenry of their ancestors, I imagine that would feel like a pretty significant commitment.
Today I was witness to a different group of folks trying to sort out where exactly their commitments and allegiences stood. In this case, it was a group of people, who again each had their own reason for choosing to be there, in an effort to start a Waldorf high school in SE Wisconsin. It was the first meeting I attended, and in a conversation I had with another member of the group several months before, she had noted the similarity to commiting to a new school initiative and having a new baby. For me, as for everyone else in that group, it is a big decision to take something like that on. Really huge. I feel like I saw a little glimpse today of just how difficult it can be for us, as adults, to put aside our egos for a common goal (for "the baby," the school that is to be born) and at the same time, I saw how much could be gained and become so beautiful should we be able to work together and allow it to incarnate. I saw people and ideas I would love to work with, and people who I was not so excited about co-comitting with. I do hope that I will be able to post progress down the road.
The thread running through all of this of course, is my commitment to these three boys standing here with me. Pala and I both have been trying to take a close look at all of the places that call to us for our energy and keep the commitments we make in line first and foremost with what is best for our family.
Here's to the striving and the intention!
