A MATTER of ATTITUDE
My Elementary School teacher, Miss Allen, gathered us in a circle just outside the classroom
under overspreading limbs of a pecan tree.
As she spoke, we all listened intently - the expression on her face seemed to say,
"This is very important."
She began slowly and deliberately…
"Sometimes life doesn't go so well and we feel afraid. But we all have a friend who will help us..."
I was thinking, "Uh oh, here comes Jesus..."
I was wrong.
She continued, "Our friend is called the Stream of Time. You know what a stream is -
it's not like a river that roars through a canyon such as a freight train.
No. A stream moves along without rushing. It is steady and flowing."
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I was about 8 years old and I must confess I listened with great curiosity.
This wasn't like anything else I'd heard at school.
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"You and me and everybody you know - are in a little boat we sit in as the stream of everyday life
flows around us. It carries us from where we are and moves us to someplace up ahead.
We can paddle or not - it's up to us what we do and how we go about it."
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I thought to myself, "This is wild - has Miss Allen been drinking!"
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She continued in a kind of hypnotic flow.
"Now, I'm going to whisper to you THE SECRET of LIFE.
Remember it - if you do, you can get through anything that happens.”
She paused and gazed at us and went on to ask:
“Do you want to know?”
All heads in the class bobbed up and down: Yes!
"We all know a little song - ROW ROW ROW YOUR BOAT?"
More nods from us. Sure- everybody knows that song.
"That song holds the Secret of Life."
Her voice fell to a stage whisper. We were an audience spellbound.
All of us leaned forward to catch every syllable.
"The Secret of Life begins with the first words: Row, Row, Row your boat?
But - How should we row?
The words tell us:
GENTLY down the stream. Gently means what?
Not too fast, not too slow - just enough to put your heart into it to keep moving..."
Miss Allen paused. Then ...
" We dip in our paddles and pull - but with what attitude? What’s the best of all moods?
The next words tell us the answer. MERRILY MERRILY MERRILY.
Not sad, angry, afraid, or distracted...
Think of it like the days leading up to Christmas or a birthday party when everything
seems to change all around us and we say to each other: MERRY Christmas and HAPPY Birthday!."
All of us in that little circle were listening and remembering as she went on ...
“ So many things going on in our life, in our family, in the world around us -
it’s not so easy to be merry but there is a very good reason we can be.
The words of the song make it clear: LIFE IS BUT A DREAM!
Think how unexpected a dream can be - seeming so real but disappearing
into a brand new day filled with bright sunshine and oh so many possibilities!
Just look around right now!
Here we all sit together in our boat this morning and we look at each other and think
‘Today is just like every other school day’ - but - it wasn’t, was it? We’ve never done this before - have we??”
Little heads moved quietly, side to side, “No-o-o” we whispered to ourselves.
Miss Allen smiled mysteriously:
"This gathering under a pecan tree - as the Stream of Time is moving --
and we are in our row boats as it is - carrying us away. - the stream always carries us away.
And it is wonderful because a really bad day is ALWAYS left behind and we
ALWAYS move forward into a new possibility. A new day - a better day...
NOTHING stops the Stream of Time - it is always around you in your Merry Dream of life
as you keep busy, stay steady, feel merry, going with its dreamy flow.”
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And with that - her voice went back to normal volume.
She had us stand up and stretch - and just in time for recess!
The bell rang and the spell broke.
Never another word about rowboats, or merry tomorrows.
None of my classmates said a word about it - no questions - no complaints.
I was quite spellbound and moved by it - but didn't know why.
For many years I have often pondered Miss Allen's little speech - strange as it was.
We weren't inside the classroom - she'd taken us outside.
Why?
She had whispered - but why? She said it was the SECRET of LIFE.
Did she know something nobody else knew?
I think so.
I think that silly song we sang as children contains life's secret.
I know because I’ve dipped my paddle. I’ve pulled at the stream
I’ve left bad things behind.
I’ve moved away from the old days into new and newer ones and felt
It is inside my heart:
So much depends on being Merry, (Joyous in disposition and spirit) because…
Well, because that song gives us the reason!
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Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream!
(repeat as you fade)
