At our Beach House, we start off every New Year with a different theme and focus. Last year, it was Awakening 2017: A Year With Intention, which provided us with the perfect opportunity to look within to find our inner calm. We explored our minds and searched our souls to uncover versions of ourselves that we never knew existed. For 2018, we are harnessing all the lessons we have learnt and applying them to our daily rituals by discovering the secrets to everyday happy living with Kinship 2018: A Year To Get Consciously Cozy.
We were inspired by the Danish concept of ‘hygge’ (pronounced “hoo-gah”), which is a quality of presence and an experience of belonging and togetherness. It is a feeling of being cozy, warm, comforted and safe. It’s a feeling of engagement and relatedness, of belonging to the moment and to each other. Hygge is a sense of abundance and contentment. Hygge is about being, not having.
The Beach House team had the pleasure of visiting Ms Tatum’s 1st grade class at Cayman International School to talk to her students about what makes them happy. They excitedly told us all about a happy memory and even drew us pictures! It took us back to the 7-year old version of ourselves and we loved reminiscing about how it was to be young at heart! Their innocence and appreciation for simple joys also humbled us and reminded us how our perspective of everyday happy living has changed over the years. It was no surprise that their enthusiasm was so infectious that we left leaving school with a huge smile on our faces!
We asked the kids three questions: What makes you happy, describe a recent happy time and what do you want to be when you grow up. Read on to hear what the kids had to say!
Xander:
“Hugs and kisses with mommy, daddy and my little brother make me happy. A happy memory was my birthday party last week. I had a slumber party with my closest friends! I want to be a creator of Minecraft when I grow up. Or someone that invents a new cool game!
Rosa:
“Hugs and kisses from everyone makes me happy. A happy moment for me was when I was with my grandma and we were giving each other presents because we were going to leave each other for a little while. My grandmother lives in Germany and the last time I saw her was when I was 5. I want to be a Veterinarian like my mom. I love animals. In Germany I have a cat.”
Eric:
“Hugs and kisses make me happy. A happy moment that I had is when my mommy cuddles me. I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up yet.”
Logan:
“Playing with my dogs make me happy! Their names are Rosa and Chip. We like to play in our background. I want to be a Vet when I grow up.”
The Kinship Kids interviews will be showcased in a series of four instalments. Make sure to watch this space for the second part of Kinship Kids – when we feature more heartwarming words and drawings from our beloved 1st graders!
