Wednesday, June 25, 2008

The War Hero's Offspring Becomes a Hippie

My daughter and I just recently completed the agonizing task of settling our preferences within the Afternoon Electives for the upcoming conference in England. *sigh*
...or perhaps that should read *shudder* http://www.cslewis.org/programs/oxbridge/2008/index.html
A brief glance at the link above may help clarify the angst that particular activity has produced. Increasingly, I vacillate between delight and terror at the whole notion.
Delight for the chance to travel and experience this with my offspring whom I thought, was pretty much like me in many respects.
Terror at the depth and challenge of the material we'll be exposed to.

My dining room table is littered with conference paraphernalia crying to be organized and I, the overwhelmed/random shuffler of paper, found a copy of Pegasus 2008: Verse and Prose by students of Guido -- AND a contribution signed by someone with my daughters name!
Of course my attention was immediately diverted...wouldn't yours?
In the third re-reading of it, something new about my offspring began to dawn on me...something that inspires me to reflect on her uniqueness and to praise God for making each of us, special & distinctly-gifted bearers of His image.

Strange, how that reflection launches me straight back into that silly cycle of delight and terror!

THE WAR HERO'S OFFSPRING BECOMES A HIPPIE

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree,
Or so it's been said.
But what if, say
That old fruit-bearing tree is
Perched
On the edge of a
Sheer drop
Cliff
And that little apple
Just falls and falls --
Splash
Into a steady stream in which
That little Red Apple
Just bobs along, ends
Up in the hands of some
Tourist
Who takes it back to Georgia on the
Jet plane
And places it lovingly
on his fireplace mantel?

If you ask me, that apple sure
Fell
Far,
Awfully far
From the tree.
by Catherine

Now I understand why our conference choices have led us in two opposite directions.
She's mine alright, but she's also totally herself. Me thinks this is going to be an interesting ride!

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