This is the last page in the demonstration book I created for my class at the John C. Campbell School. The verses appear in both English and Danish, as the school was founded on folk school principles learned in Denmark. I wanted to fill the page with words, to finish the book off with the motto of the school. Here is the song in English:
I sing behind the plough and to the sound of the mowing hills and woods give back my song.
– Mads Handsen
And when I am weary with toiling,
day is done my spirit is fresh,
my mind at ease.
I am happy and free.
Why would singing behind the plow be a motto for a place of learning? That’s easy. The school focuses on learning not perfection. It is non-competitive. There are no grades, only intensive learning and the ability to enjoy the process. Being able to sing behind the plow means taking joy in work and savoring the blessings that hard work provides…like learning something new for a week and leaving with a completed something that you created.
It is a blessing and privilege to be able to teach here, and I learn from my students every time. This was my tenth year teaching, and what a blast! Giving a group of people the same instruction, the same supplies, the same timeframes and access to the school’s resources…and EVERY TIME they create beyond my wildest expectations. Every time it is different, and every time I am in awe of the class. I am pushed to be better. I am reminded of all the years I have been doing what I do, and that I can still do things differently to create something new. This book was this year’s new adventure from my perspective.
We all live very busy lives, no matter what we do or where we live. Life can be grueling and amazing at the same time. Being able to take joy in your work, no matter what the work is means guarding your attitude. It is indeed an “attitude” and one that allows us to release the fret and ardor of “work”. When we choose to savor the toil, it gives us the gift of being productive and creating something important. Important for us, important for those we serve, important for those we don’t know, and important for those we will never meet. It reminds us that work is not a dirty word, a bad things, or a burden. Being able to work and find joy in that process is a true blessing.
Let me encourage you to find the joy in your work. Be it cleaning your house, cooking a meal, earning your living, creating something, serving someone, or attending yet another boring meeting. Work is only arduous if we allow it to be. Work is a blessing and a joy if we choose for it to be. So today, choose joy!
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