Absolution
I am my daughter's confessor. Mother-confessor. I am my granddaughter's sounding board. Grandma-listener. I am my husband's constant companion. As he is mine.
Our sons are elsewhere, living out their lives on their own, far from our close ministrations to their needs. They no longer have need of our near presence. Our daughter, always the renegade, the rebel, who chafed incessantly against our too-close presence in her young life, now, as an adult, with so many failed relationships behind her, needs our near presence.
Subliminally, that is. She has no cognitive recognition of her need of us. She still, from time to time, lashes out against what is now ancient history. Her brothers, older and younger than she, seldom-to-never caused us anguish, grief, anxiety, irritation; only she.
She it was who required an early physical separation from us, to take on life on her own terms. And when that failed, back she came, to nestle once again, aggrievedly, in the bosom of her family.
While the boys, when the time was right, struck out on their own to find their singular missions in life. And having found them, settled in to form and expand on their desires and satisfactions.
As parents we have fond reason to be grateful to all three of our children. For every parent ardently desires that their children become reasonable, well-functioning, intelligent social beings, and ours have succeeded admirably in attaining that status.
They have, all of them, moreover, attained to a level of academic education that we never did. Our own impoverished familial backgrounds slammed a door shut on any such aspirations, and we vowed, when we were young, that it would be different for our children.
We would tend them, see to their emotional and learning needs, hover over their learning experiences, encourage their sense of adventure, expose them to a fair and just way of life, encourage them to make much of any and all opportunities they could recognize and value.
They have, each of them, distinguished themselves as human beings, as sensitive, sensible, compassionate and fair people. What more could we ask? That they be safe, and healthy, and remain accomplished in the tasks they set for themselves. That they receive satisfaction and the modicum of happiness that life offers to those who will take advantage of their privileges.
Ah, today I fulfilled another small task, giving communion to our daughter, and absolving her of the misfortune of having run over a small black squirrel as she drove on the rural highway leading from her home to her place of employment. She will not forgive herself, but on behalf of nature, her mother gives her absolution.
Some misfortunes simply cannot be avoided.
Our sons are elsewhere, living out their lives on their own, far from our close ministrations to their needs. They no longer have need of our near presence. Our daughter, always the renegade, the rebel, who chafed incessantly against our too-close presence in her young life, now, as an adult, with so many failed relationships behind her, needs our near presence.
Subliminally, that is. She has no cognitive recognition of her need of us. She still, from time to time, lashes out against what is now ancient history. Her brothers, older and younger than she, seldom-to-never caused us anguish, grief, anxiety, irritation; only she.
She it was who required an early physical separation from us, to take on life on her own terms. And when that failed, back she came, to nestle once again, aggrievedly, in the bosom of her family.
While the boys, when the time was right, struck out on their own to find their singular missions in life. And having found them, settled in to form and expand on their desires and satisfactions.
As parents we have fond reason to be grateful to all three of our children. For every parent ardently desires that their children become reasonable, well-functioning, intelligent social beings, and ours have succeeded admirably in attaining that status.
They have, all of them, moreover, attained to a level of academic education that we never did. Our own impoverished familial backgrounds slammed a door shut on any such aspirations, and we vowed, when we were young, that it would be different for our children.
We would tend them, see to their emotional and learning needs, hover over their learning experiences, encourage their sense of adventure, expose them to a fair and just way of life, encourage them to make much of any and all opportunities they could recognize and value.
They have, each of them, distinguished themselves as human beings, as sensitive, sensible, compassionate and fair people. What more could we ask? That they be safe, and healthy, and remain accomplished in the tasks they set for themselves. That they receive satisfaction and the modicum of happiness that life offers to those who will take advantage of their privileges.
Ah, today I fulfilled another small task, giving communion to our daughter, and absolving her of the misfortune of having run over a small black squirrel as she drove on the rural highway leading from her home to her place of employment. She will not forgive herself, but on behalf of nature, her mother gives her absolution.
Some misfortunes simply cannot be avoided.
Labels: Environment, Nature, Realities
posted by Pieface @ 5:31 PM
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