In the last few weeks I have attended and participated in two great meetings. The first was our District November General Meeting. In SGI, we have a general meeting in November to commemorate the beginning of SGI. The youth division planned a great meeting that included information about the beginning of SGI, art and history. Four young women each presented a section of the history of the SGI and asked a question of the group. We learned about our history, had a good discussion, did a little art project and sang a song. It was a very lively gathering with lots of laughter and discussion. Goal for 2009 - keep the young people involved. It makes meetings so much better.
I attended another Sophia Group meeting in the San Jose area last week. This time there was a guest. That's always fun. We read about and discussed the basics of this practice. It was inspiring to explain the practice to a guest. No hard core shakabuku here, just sharing our experiences and listening to the guest. There was a member who is going through a spiritual journey. She sounded like she might be feeling guilty. We all helped her understand that she needs to find her own way. She is on a journey. Keep an open mind. It was so refreshing to hear someone open up like that and no one felt the need to put her down or try to force her back in line. I really like those meetings.
Kaela, my 16 year old just returned from Japan. She spent a week there. Greg went to Japan every year at this time to participate in a 3-day seminar with the Grandmaster of Ninjutsu. This year Kaela went in his place. She had a wonderful time. She traveled with her new teacher and met up with 7 or 8 other local ninja friends. She called me twice a day and was always in a good mood. I'm so happy for her.
My other daughter played 2 parts in the local version of The Nutcracker ballet. Weeks of practice turned into a very nice performance. She is looking forward to next year. Tonight she has a dance recital. She is taking Hip Hop. That will be fun to watch.