To different minds, the same world is a hell, and a heaven.

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

IN TODAY'S SESSION... We made up a group story about an awful day. We talked about whether we could have a day with just good acts and no wrongdoing—or the reverse. We tried to imagine what pure virtue and pure sin look like, and we expressed our feelings about heaven and hell through drawing. We heard a story about heaven and hell. We did Ethics Play, and we saw how much strength people have when they join together in groups.

EXPLORE THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Talk about...

• The situation your group did in Ethics Play. What do family members and friends say the Star should have done?
• How you feel about the idea of heaven and hell. Ask: Do you think they exist? Do we agree or disagree with one another? Is it okay to disagree? Have our ideas changed about these things as we have grown older? Is it okay for our ideas to change?
• Free will in your family. Does everybody have a chance to use free will? Is everybody comfortable with the amount of free will they get to use? Does free will need to be balanced with other concerns, and what are some of those concerns?

EXTEND THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Try...

• Asking what people mean when they talk about "hell on earth" or "heaven on earth." What are your family's ideas about either one? What was a time when your family seemed to be going through either one?
• Asking how strong a group your family is. How can you make it stronger? Talk about that.

MYSTERY AND ME

Take some personal quiet time and let your mind drift away into the mysteries of the universe. What does this mean? Just relax and let go of your thoughts. When your mind floats back to your own life, think about tomorrow. Will you have a perfectly virtuous day, a day with no wrongdoings at all? What will that look like? Write some of your ideas in your journal and come back to them in a few days after you see how the day actually turned out.

A FAMILY RITUAL

Talk each day about the right and wrong you have experienced. Did you each do something good you want to share? Is there somebody in the family you want to thank for a virtuous act? Is there something you wish you had not done that you need to talk about? How can you make tomorrow a better day?

A FAMILY GAME

Create a family round-robin story. It could be about anything. Let one person start and see what happens. When you finish, ask whether the story talks more about good or evil. Try a round-robin story sometime when your family is planning a special day or riding somewhere in a car. Build a story that shows what the day or the rest of the trip will be like. When you are done, decide whether everybody has the same ideas. If not, how can you make a time that everybody enjoys?

FAMILY DISCOVERY

Discover what groups you all belong to. Why are you in them? Do any of the groups work to make our world a better place? Which is the most important group for everybody in the family?