Lessons from a Sandbox: Discovering Simplicity and Serenity

We built a tiny sandbox for play when Wilson was younger. The kids enjoyed building the sandbox together. Here in this post, it served as a lesson in discovering beauty in simplicity.
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​Re-post from September 27, 2009:

​With three rocks from our collection of geological treasures and a piece of wood I cut teeth into, Joey discovered the art of the Zen garden in our own little sandbox! Traditional Japanese meditation gardens capture the essence of nature through minimalist use of the elements - stones, raked gravel, and a few carefully chosen plants.

Joey placed the three rocks with a great eye for design! Upon completing the raking, Joey commented that it needed more. I said to her, "These days, we live in a world where we always seem to want more, but really what we need to do is learn to live with less."

I introduced her to the thinking behind the Zen garden - simplicity and serenity. The minimalist approach encourages one to find the most beauty in an object, in the experience. The form and color of the earth elements, their arrangement, their relationship to each other, their connection to our own life experiences - from these are derived the beauty of nature. We learn to appreciate the smallest yet most meaningful moments of our everyday life. 

"You ask me why I dwell in the green mountain; I smile and make no reply for my heart is free of care. As the peach blossom which flows downstream and is gone into the unknown, I have a world apart that is not among men." -- Li Po