Faith Curriculum Library: Tapestry of Faith: The New UU: A Program for Welcoming Newcomers to Unitarian Universalist Congregations

Activity 2: The Wind in Both Ears

Part of The New UU

Activity time: 15 minutes

Materials for Activity

Preparation for Activity

  • Print the story "The Wind in Both Ears" and prepare to present it.

Description of Activity

Read or tell the story as directed. Connect the story explicitly to religious education by saying:

A major goal of Unitarian Universalist religious education is to equip people-children, youth, and adults-to face whatever comes to them in life.

Lead a short discussion about the life experiences that people need to be equipped to face. Ask about each age group: preschoolers, elementary school-age children, youth, young adults, middle-aged adults, older adults. As needed, suggest examples, like adjusting to going to school, living through divorce, experiencing death of a loved one. Some themes may recur for several age groups (encountering birth and death), while others (adjusting to siblings, seeking a mate, selecting a career, losing the ability to drive) may be more relevant to particular life stages.