By Heather Conn.

As adults, we can sometimes find it challenging to articulate our spiritual journey, especially when the process feels so personal and beyond words. Yet, if we want to share our spiritual beliefs with children, how do we move past abstract terms and make them meaningful for young hearts and minds?

After grappling for many years with the concept of “letting go,” (my goal-oriented self associated it with failure or giving in), I felt as if I finally “got” it. As a result, I have experienced less stress, more trust, and more willingness to follow the intuitive prompts of my deeper Self, even if my logical ego thinks that this choice is ridiculous.

I decided that if children could learn the benefits of letting go, perhaps it might save them a lot of anguish as adults. I also wanted to encourage kids to go with the flow, find their inner stillness, believe in themselves, and follow their dreams. To me, all of these concepts relate to faith and trust in our True or spiritual essence; they evoke the Taoist notion of wu wei or “action through inaction.”

While on a voyage of spiritual self-discovery in India about twenty years ago, I was determined to write a screenplay for adults. Instead, what appeared when I started writing was the playful voice of a young fish. This was not what I had asked for! Yet, the voice seemed so insistent, I decided to follow it. It led me into rhyming verse, and eventually, two decades later, to the publication of the picture book Gracie’s Got a Secret (MW Books 2011).

In this adventure tale, a feisty goldfish named Gracie gets out of her fishbowl and shares her secret with an alligator and elephant to help them solve their individual dilemmas. After aiding them, she impatiently tries to force events to unfold the way that she wants (sound familiar?), and goes nowhere. Finally, Gracie stops and closes her eyes, finding peace and stillness in her chaos. As a result, with little effort, she winds up flying.

I knew that I didn’t want to make the story didactic, since children already receive far too many “don’ts” and “shoulds.” If they could only learn to stop and connect with their deepest inner Source, however they might perceive that. . . The educator in me added questions at the end of the book to act as inspirational prompts for discussion.

During my book launch, a Catholic friend asked me if Gracie’s flight symbolized Christ’s journey and resurrection. Surprised, I thought: Why not? Mythologist Joseph Campbell believed that at an archetypal level, we are all on a hero’s journey, which includes “magic flight” and being “master of two worlds,” a balance between the material and spiritual.

If we can share our insights with children, allowing them the freedom to explore and express their own form of spirituality, without indoctrination, we have provided an empowering bridge for them between these dual realms.

Recently, I was delighted to discover the 2005 picture book Peaceful Piggy Meditation by Kerry Lee MacLean. Her story shows “peaceful piggies” meditating and slowing down to notice “all the magical little things in life.” The author found that when she and her husband meditated with their five children, the kids were happier, more peaceful, and confident. Best-selling authors Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, and Deepak Chopra have all written inspirational picture books with spiritual themes.

Children want, and need, healthy models for living. Let’s deepen that experience for them with soulful storytelling, so that their hearts, minds, and spirits can continue to blossom.

Heather Conn is an author, award-winning freelance writer, editor, screenwriter and writing coach in the Vancouver, BC region. She is on the board of the city’s Workplace Centre for Spiritual and Ethical Development and is a trained SoulCollage® facilitator. Find out more at heatherconn.com, heatherconnblogs.com, graciesgotasecret.com, and sunshinecoastsoulcollage.ca.

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