HAWMC -Day 13 About 10 Things

HAWMC Day 13: 10 Things You Couldn’t Live Without
Write a list of the 10 things you need (or love) most…

In Girl Guides we have a challenge story activity we use with the kids. They are to pretend that they are stranded on an island and can only take 10 things with them in order to survive.

The result comes out one of two ways when we do it with kids. 

• Some kids will choose to list what they need to stay alive. They start peppering us with questions about the conditions on that fictitious island. Does it have a coconut tree? Might a polar bear swim up to it? Is it in a fresh water lake or is it surrounded by salty ocean wate

• Other kids will respond with some desperation about needing their favorite book or iPhone and how they need to bring along the pet turtle so that it is taken care of properly. The choices a child makes are very telling.

The next important move comes for my young teen group when we get them to repeat the exercise and work together to decide as a unit what they need to bring. That starts with some friction, heated discussions and in the long run it leads to a group that can work together in real situations. It is usually a group with someone practical wanting to bring a hatchet to build a shelter, someone who will want their iPod with music and extra batteries to keep everyone cheered up, and that little turtle nurturer will make sure everyone is taken care of.  It is nice to have a team you can depend on.

The real strength of the list is not the items on it. It is the decision-making and awareness of your personal values.

10 things that make me happy:

1. My family 
2. My friends 
3. My camera 
4. My family photos 
5. My computer 
6. My music 
7. My books, including the bible 
8. My house with its apple tree 
9. My summer cottage on the little island 
10. Flowers and birds and bugs

10 things I take with to my island cottage, (besides food and water and the keys):

1. Medications 
2. Cane 
3. Computer 
4. Camera 
5. Phone 
6. Magazines/Books 
7. Guitar 
8. Craft materials 
9. DVD to watch 
10. Bathing suit