Sandi L Boucher, from Seine River First Nation, connects the medicine wheel to life stages and shares what babies teach us: enthusiasm, curiosity, no expectations, and ease with change. She ties these lessons to coping during COVID-19 and encourages viewers to celebrate babies and smile.
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Foreign. Hi, everybody. My name is Sandy Boucher. I'm Red Thunderbolt, woman of the Loon clan, a proud member of Seine River First Nation in Northern Ontario. And I'm here today with this week's Tuesday Teaching. Now, if you live in northwestern Ontario, northeastern Ontario, northern Ontario, or actually in many other places, you may have come across the medicine wheel. And I'm going to show you a picture here. The medicine wheel reminds us of so many things. It's not a sacred item, it's a teaching tool, but it reminds us of the four sacred medicines. The teachings come from the four directions. It reminds us that the four colors of man are all equal. And so many other things. But today, this week, I'm really reminded that the medicine wheel also reminds us of the life stages. The babies, the youth, the adults, and the elders. This week, I wanted to focus on the babies and how much they have to teach us. Think of any amazing little infant. You know, they are so, so excited to do every single day. And honestly, shouldn't we all be excited that we get another day? They have zero expectations. They have needs, but not expectations. When you come walking into the room, they are thrilled to see you. They're not saying you were supposed to be here 10 minutes ago. They're absolutely thrilled that you've arrived. And they cannot wait to be picked up and give you a hug and smile so that you can smile back at them. Imagine what an amazing world we would live in if we could remember to greet people with that enthusiasm. Not laced with our expectations, but just thrilled that we get to spend time with them again. Babies are always exploring, always discovering something new. Imagine the day they found out they have toes. Imagine the day you found out you're amazing at math class or singing or writing, or you're a really good listener or whatever the case may be. I believe if you're still here, there's still so much for you to discover. So remember that baby inside you. Enjoy the baby stage, because we can go back there anytime we want to. And I think the greatest lesson, and one we really need to hang on to in this time, is that babies take change in stride because it's all new and exciting to them. A new place, a new color, a new person, a new experience. We're in the middle of a pandemic. This is not an experience any one of us asked for. But I know I'm enjoying this new video version of my career. And I'm enjoying phone calls again that got lost along the way. I'm enjoying emailing with friends just because I want to stay connected. It's almost like the pandemic forced me to remember who's important and just how important it is that I tell them that. So this week, let's celebrate the babies. Let's mimic all the beautiful things they teach us. And if nothing else, let's smile like our best baby. Smile. Until next week's, my friend. I love you. Talk to you soon. Bye. Bye.
