Compassion Quest

This month the family is challenged to learn about compassion by being compassionate. Start by discussing the definition of compassion and be sure to include that it just isn’t being caring or loving. Compassion seeks to help those who are suffering. Compassion extends from helping someone in a bad mood to helping feed a third world nation. This month complete your Compassion Quest by choosing 3 activities to do as a family where you can be compassionate to people, animals, and the earth. Spend several days letting family members accumulate ideas. Everyone should participate in the decision making of what activities to do. Many activities can be performed in the home. Once you decide on all of your projects, make a tally board that lists the projects with a place to check them off when they are done. Some ideas are below:

People
• Collect household and clothing items to donate to Goodwill
• Send cards to seniors in a nursing home
• Donate food to a food pantry
Animals
• Build bird houses; feed birds or provide nesting material
• Donate old towels or blankets to a pet shelter
Earth
• Have one meatless meal a week to reduce your carbon footprint
• Start a compost pile
• Find one new thing to recycle

To process this activity, ask these or similar questions:

• Was it hard decide what to do?
• Were you surprised at how many ideas of things to do there are?
• How did you feel each time you completed one of the quest activities?
• Are any of your quests something that will be ongoing outside of this month?
• As you go forward, do you think you will be more aware of the need for compassion?