Enclosure

Last night I took the kids to their first swimming lessons. To cut a very long story short - one is a very confident swimmer and the other one thinks that water is of the devil. And I don't say that lightly!

The experience of course brought up all of the concerns, issues and worries that all parents have when something doesn't go right - I am a bad parent, what could have I done differently, and the killer - what will these other parents think of me?

All of this got me to thinking about protecting my kids, and comparing it to the monastic physical and spiritual concept of enclosure. In a monastery the enclosure is the physical space which is off limits to guests. Only the community may go there. It often over looks a courtyard and provides a safe, peaceful and beautiful place to live the majority of your life.

I believe monastics also live in the spirit of enclosure.
Guarding and keeping a safe place within as well as without.
Having a safe place within yourself you are able to return.
Knowing your limits and when to say enough.

I suppose as a parent, part of role is to provide a sense of enclosure in the home.
But, as witnessed by the swimming yesterday, helping my children to leave their own personal enclosure and take a risk is also a skill I can teach them.

I am still struggling with my own sense of enclosure - finding that safe place within me, but that spurs me on to teach my children, once again, what the monks taught me!