In many different cultures and spiritual traditions, the image of a lotus rising up from the murky mud is a metaphor for the mysterious transformations that can happen when we work with skill, compassion, and insight on our difficulties. Indeed, like the lotus, it is precisely by mucking about in the mud that we are able to fully bloom!
All of us — both young children and adults — demonstrate this powerful feature of human development every day. Maintaining persistence while learning a new task; acknowledging relationship ruptures and seeking repair; honoring the impact of trauma; confronting our differences in a collaborative spirit: in these and many other ways we learn that the ability to transform challenges into opportunities for growth is truly our superpower.
And when we adults forget? We can just watch our youngest children demonstrate this superpower in all of its mysterious, glorious beauty — proving why early childhood education is the most important profession on the planet.