Tapestry of Faith: Riddle and Mystery: A Program on the Big Questions for Grade 6

Taking It Home: The Future and Me

We will be known forever by the tracks we leave. — Native American (Dakota) proverb

Talk about the quote. What does it mean? Is it correct? Helpful to think about? Does it remind you of the butterfly effect we talked about in another Riddle and Mystery session?

WHAT WE DID TODAY

Today's Big Question asks, "What should I do with my life?" We did not answer the question. It is not necessary for sixth graders to know what they are going to do with the rest of their lives. But it is good to think about the question and how you will answer it as your life moves forward. We looked ahead to our 100th birthdays and wondered about the guides we might use to help us make decisions getting from here to there. We talked about what it means to have a calling. We heard the story of a stonecutter who always wanted to be something else—until he decided what he wanted was to be content. In WCUU, an advice panel answered questions about making big life decisions. In WIT time we did art and poetry projects about the little lights we all have inside us.

TRYING OUT A CAREER

Close your eyes while a friend opens a phone book to the yellow pages and point your finger blindly to a spot on a page. Open your eyes and see where your finger is pointing. Think of a career choice that is close to what you are pointing to. (Maybe you are pointing to an ad for a car dealership, and one career choice would be working as a mechanic.) Think and talk about the good things there might be about that career choice. Then think and talk about the worst parts of that career choice. Did you just find the job of your dreams? Or do you need to keep looking? Then give your friend a turn.

FAMILY LEGACIES

Draw a family tree. Include everybody you can think of for two or three generations and ask older members of your family to help. Next to everybody's name, write one good thing they did with their lives (or have done so far, if they are still living).

SHARED SEARCH

Think about the quote we shared in this session. It comes from a Dakota proverb: "We will be known forever by the tracks we leave." Take a trip to see tracks left some time ago by a member of your family. Maybe a grandparent helped build a school you can go see. Maybe you yourself planted a bush or a tree you have not really looked at for a while. Of course, you are, in a way, a "track" made by your own parents.

PHOTO CHALLENGE

Photograph something you used to really like but do not care much about any more. Maybe it is an old toy, or an old playground activity. Think about how you have changed since you were involved with what you photographed. Think how much you are likely to change in the future.

FAMILY FAITH IN ACTION — TRANSITIONS

Our lives are full of transitions—large and small. Think about individuals in your family that are going through transitions now or in the near future. How can you help them? Is there a new baby in the family? Maybe you can give the parent a "babysitting voucher" to be turned in for a free night of babysitting. A younger cousin starting kindergarten? How about passing on your favorite pencil box, with a surprise note inside?