At the time, however, my insights were more instinctive: like any creature unsure of its way, I longed for physical landmarks. I recognized in myself a tendency to go astray—to overthink and overfeel—and so I knew I had to ground myself. I had to engage my body more and connect myself more directly and more responsibly to practical circumstances. I had to find work that would occupy all of me—body, mind and heart—and that would respect the wholeness of others. Fortunately, I had met a Rolfing practitioner in college and had experienced the healing work of Rolfing. This unique and holistic form of bodywork seemed to fit the bill. So I quit my job and moved to Boulder, Colorado to learn the trade. It was during this time that “wholeness” became my new definition of “health,” and health the new standard by which I evaluated things. I’ve been practicing Rolfing in Cambridge, Massachusetts for seven years now, and I continue to experience my work as a kind of spiritual homecoming.
Sometimes I look at the choices I’ve made and I smile to myself thinking, “I really am a Waldorfian!” I have no car (I walk to work), no TV, and no Facebook account— not because I have some abstract moral objection to these things but because I have found them to be either unnecessary or overly distracting. My life is not free of frivolity and distraction, and I only mention these three particular choices because they require a certain amount of will and resistance in our culture. The point is not to be willfully resistant but rather to know yourself and be true to yourself—to examine what works for you and what does not based on your experience and to act accordingly. It is in this trueness to ourselves that I believe we empower ourselves to do good things and inspire each other. That, for me, is what Waldorf education is about. Through tradition, ceremonies, rituals, and rites of passage, Waldorf fosters the experience of personal wholeness and mutual belonging. It’s a measure by which we can know when we falter and a compass to bring us home.
A-Maying We Will Go by Holly Kania, P ’08, ’12 Plans for this year’s Gala Benefit are well underway, with alumni parents taking a lead role alongside current parents. Co-Chair Holly Kania, P ’08, ’12 and volunteers Nancy Heselton, P ’03, ’06, ’08 and Kim Wass, P’06, ’09, ’12 join forces to represent five graduating classes and eight WSL alums. The trio is excited to bring an alumni and alumni parent perspective to the party: “The Gala is the perfect opportunity for the alumni community to reunite with faculty and old friends, and to revisit what the school meant to them for so many years,” says Wass.
To benefit the
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WALDORF SCHO of Lexington
“Alumni parents are often hungry for the kind of heartfelt gatherings you miss so much after moving on from the Waldorf School community,” adds Heselton.
T wi s t & S p r o uatla! Ma y Da y G
SAVE THE DATE!
Saturday, May 4
6:30 - 11:00 p.m
use John H. Pierce Ho 17 Weston Road setts Lincoln, Massachu
The Twist & Sprout! May Day Gala takes place Saturday, May 4 from 6:30 – 11:00 p.m. at the historic John H. Pierce House in Lincoln, MA. This adults-only party will feature food, drink, entertainment, a “50/50” raffle, live auction, and dancing to the tunes of live band “Six,” helmed by alumni parent Walter Ogier, P ’03. The fundraising fun begins in April, when the Twist & Sprout! online auction goes live. The auction will feature everything from one-of-a-kind experiences to beautiful handmade items. The Gala committee is eager to feature online donations from Alumni and Alumni parent artists, crafters and creators. If you have an item or service you would like to contribute to the online auction, please contact Misty Ojure at development@thewaldorfschool.org. So save the date, and keep an eye on your inbox for your invitation.
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