Hello First UU families! Please join Jen B for a story, Big Al by Andrew Clements. It is a story of a fish who is having trouble finding friends. Even though Big Al tries different strategies his peers are nervous of this “big” and “scary” looking fish. Then something happens that changes their mind and they see the big heart of Big Al. And, we get to see Big Al’s Circle Widen!

This month’s theme is “Widening our Circle”. We do this in accepting ourselves and others. Understanding that our “outsides” are not necessarily representative of what is going on inside. The inside contains the parts of what we believe, feel, and how deeply we care.

At the end of this week’s story we look at a book about the Human Body- the skeleton, circulatory, and nervous system. In this way we see that we are all the same. And, there is an invitation to do body tracing on a big sheet of paper or cardboard. Then decorate it in whatever ways – perhaps putting in the heart and bones, or decorating with images that represent ideas or feelings (for example, a symbol representing a hug, or a color that feels cool or calm). If this seems too big, you might try creating a mask out of a paper plate or some light cardboard. The exterior of the mask could be what we show the world, and the back could have some more personal images (for example, some things that they like, but share with less people in the world). These ideas are opportunities to talk about our “insides” and our “outsides”. For either project, the images can become words or phrases- whatever allows for fun, and sharing!

Our circle is still here, and still around us, but we have been missing seeing one another. We are looking forward to seeing you very soon! In the meantime, please feel free to share any snippets from creations you make or bits of conversation about our story or projects. -Jen