- "from your children? The European war is far less dangerous to their bodies than the spiritual risks which they run. We must imagine a much greater war, a universal one, to which all young men are called, and where the survivors are pointed out as absolutely exceptional. Therefore you are educating your sons for death. What, then, is the use of troubling so much about them? Is it not useless to take care of their soft hair, and their rosy nails, and the fresh and bewitching beauty of their vigorous little bodies, if they are to die before long?
"Ah! all those who love children must fight in this deadly war, and struggle for peace."
- — Dr. Maria Montessori
From Spontaneos Activity in Education
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Dr. Montessori wrote this in 1917, as the first great war tore Europe asunder. Like the wisest soldier, she knew that peace must be the ultimate goal of any struggle. In the United States we have an annual holiday known as Memorial Day, when we honor the men and women who have fallen in military service. We at CGMS honor them, just as we honor all those who have struggled and continue to struggle to improve this world, whether they be a soldier fighting to free a nation from tyranny, or someone risking everything to teach truths forbidden to young girls in some oppressive corner of the world.
Thoughts for the day:
- What is this "greater" spiritual war to which all children are called?
- What might Dr. Montessori mean when she asserts that parents are educating their children for "death" in this war? How can we avoid this?
- Do you know anyone who has put themselves in peril in order to fight for freedom? Please thank them if they still live. If not, today is a day to remember the good they brought to our world.
If you want to extend your professional development, or if you are interested in becoming a certified Montessori teacher, now is the time to visit our website at www.guidedstudies.com for more information.
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