Iroshini Kalpage
ELF Program Development Officer
Earlier this year, we had our Emerge Reunion; we had sessions about healthy relationships, Tree of Life, narrative therapy, fixed deposits, games, and about life (My Life). When I see the surveys, most girls liked the “My Life session.” Actually, it was about how life is balanced. Life is like a mountain, when we climb it, it is very difficult; however, when we get down, it is very easy and fast.
So first, I asked the girls to draw a line as in the example below. On the line they wrote the happy things that they have gotten in their life. Ex: The day I got my first job, when I met my best friend.
Then they have to leave the paper aside and get another paper and draw a line per the example below.
On this line, they have to write the sad things which they gotten in their life. Ex: A money problem, broke an arm, lost job.
After that they have to connect the two sheets together like the example.
When they connect it into two, they were really thinking about it. When they saw the mountain, they got stuck. After the explanation, they really went to their past. For some of them I had a hope, because I felt that they were climbing the mountain at that period (presently). So, at that time, they knew that they will get a slope. Until the end of the activity, they did not knew it was about life.
Actually, I only explained the mountain to the girls, but most religions speak of how life is balanced.
In Buddhism it based on Ashtaloka Dharma. Explains,
Laaba –Alaaba = Profit-Loss
Yasa – Ayasa = Rich-Poor
Ninda – Prashansha = Shame – Praise
Sepa – Duka = Happy – Sad
Hindu also has the same thing like the Buddhism says.
In Chinese, the balance of the whole world, not only life, is explained with the symbols of Yin and Yang. Yin is characterized as slow, soft, yielding, diffuse, cold, wet, and passive; it is associated with water, earth, the moon, femininity, and nighttime. In contrast, Yang is fast, hard, solid, focused, hot, dry, and aggressive; it is associated with fire, sky, the sun, masculinity, and daytime. There are some more explanations in other nations/religions.
Anyway, these girls are in society now, not in the shelters. Now they have to face the facts practically. I think that’s why most of them liked the topic of My Life. I believe for most of them it became a stress release, because finally, after so many problems they are having HOPE to beat the climbing part of the mountain. My life is also the same, what about yours?
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