Sparkle Schoolhouse

Exploring the Dry Gables Series - "All In"

The stories from the two Dry Gables Series include an accompanying post from the Sparkle Schoolhouse Educator, Meredith Markow. Each post offers insights into the characters and dynamics of the stories, along with suggestions for how to use the stories as parenting or teaching tools!

Greetings, Sparkle Friends! Glad you are here to get comfortable with me while we spend some time with Dry Gables’ baker, Marta Bauer, featured in the story "All In" from the Dry Gables: Hands Together collection.

Our Martas are easy going. They are deeply receptive, trusting, accepting, emotionally stable, patent, and inclusive. They are good mediators and good communicators, and people are drawn to them for their abilities to unify. Martas are our eternal optimists, always hoping for the best for others and themselves. They work hard to have things work out well. Above all, Martas like their comfort. They want to be comfortable, and they want others to be comfortable. And to them, where there is comfort, there is also harmony.

Marta is saying: “I want harmony!”

And while our Martas synthesize opinions and perspectives and truly heal conflicts, when Marta doesn’t know how to maximize her or other’s comfort, in order to avoid conflict, she can get stubborn or feel stuck. Sometimes, they can even be too willing to go along to keep the peace, and they can minimize what is upsetting to them, which can result in being passive or even stubborn. And because they are Bauers, they want to control their environment and resist being controlled by it. They are seeking peace, and they don’t like to feel upset. And if they feel the pain of conflict, they may get stubborn, resistant and intractable.

https://youtu.be/IYJc75LAe-I

Because as much as I loved my grandmother, she could be … challenging at times – frustrating to others in Dry Gables. She could be stubborn, or take too long to do things - she could be a little dreamy and forget things – and when things weren’t going her way – when too many people were pulling on her or asking her questions … well, she did have a bit of a temper.

Now – she was beloved in Dry Gables – don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t the only person here who adored her – I think she was the favorite of many citizens – it’s just that she had this … effect on people – kind of like sorghum syrup. She was sweet and wonderful to be with and well … she could slow you right down to a stop.

This is where we need our EBs! EB inspires Marta to take action. Through his own example of self-confidence, he motivates Marta to connect with her vitality and become more energetic and interested in developing herself to the fullest extent possible. He shows her that she can be more flexible and adaptable. He gives her a little inspirational, motivational kick by showing her that her actions are needed and that she is needed! He tells her to be All In! He tells her to “Just Do It!”

Our EB says to Marta, “Just do it!”

When he inspires her to make the cake that she is taking so long in bake, he tells her:

*“That is how you get things done – that is what it is to be All In. And I hope for the sake of whoever is getting that birthday cake, that you can be All In too.”

Then EB nodded to Marta and walked off.*

Yes, it was a little mean. But … it was also a little bit true. EB was young and impulsive and opinionated and a little full of himself, but he for one was not one to get stuck in the sweet, syrupy slowness of Marta. He was one to speak his mind and in this case, he struck a chord. Something clicked in Marta that hadn’t before.

And Marta responded!

“I need soft wheat flour and I know someone who might have some – I’m going to ask Jane if she will go there and get me that flour. Because I have a cake to bake”

Lena was delighted at this change and she smiled.

Marta smiled back and said, “All in!”

What we hope for our Martas is that she can activate her will and engage fully, remembering that her participation in life is necessary and vital.

We want Marta to know that sometimes, finding harmony means taking action.

So, when your little Marta is hard to motivate, or resistant to change, or is avoiding being uncomfortable in getting started, she might need a little EB!

Here’s what you can do to bring a little EB to your Marta:

• A Quarter of the Way In!: Marta needs time. Before you can expect your Marta to make a change or to engage, she needs time. Even EB would know that she won’t make a change or take charge until she’s good and ready.

• Halfway In!: Marta needs motivation. Marta wants to unify and she wants harmony, and it’s only in knowing that this is the end-stop that she will decide to take charge. Marta needs to know the reason why she is doing something in order for her to do it. For example, you can’t just tell Marta to exercise because it’s good for her or because it’s fun. She needs to know that exercising will bring her to loving herself more, and if she feels better about herself, then she will be kinder to others. Make a list of how Marta wants to feel, how she wants others to feel. Then build action on that end goal.

• Three Quarters of the Way In! Marta needs choice. She needs to be a partner in creating the plan. She cannot just be told what to do. She will resist.

• ALL IN! Marta may need a little push…and then watch out! Once Marta has been giving time, given an end-goal of harmony and some choice in how to make that happen, she will be so all in, that it may be hard to stop her!

Our Martas need our EBs! Hands Together!

EB brings energy, self-confidence and motivation to Marta, so that she can find peace and harmony in the world by taking action!