Thursday, July 5, 2012

The Exception

Daughter,

While they load your bags into the stainless steel belly of your 767, I had a few thoughts I wanted to share with you.

Until today you’ve lived on the Island of Home. It is a sanctuary of boring sameness for children. Many can’t wait to flee that island, only to spend the rest of their lives looking back at it. Beyond the shore of this island lies the Sea of Change.

When your plane lifts off, you will cross that sea, bound for the land all must eventually inhabit: the land of Adulthood. In adulthood, Experience is the currency of the realm. Often experience is got by making a mistake. Experience is the internal voice that keeps you from making similar mistakes again. Experience is the parent of discretion and discrimination. Your life will always be filled with choices. Chose well. Experience comes at the expense of childhood innocence; as the one is gained, the other is lost with one exception.

They are loading the last bags into your plane. Just a few more things I’d like to say:

Kindness is good policy. It is usually returned. The opposite holds true as well.

Understand and be patient with the foibles of others. The time will come when you will need a little understanding.

Hold reasonable expectations of others, but high expectations of yourself.

Adversity is part of life. Embrace it. That will take away its power to scare you. Resist it, and it will wear you down. When possible harness the energy of adversity. Like a strong northerly it can take your craft far.

The powerful often show magnanimity. That is easy when you have all the cards. Not so simple when you are vulnerable, but do it anyway. Grace is humanity’s most beautiful adornment.

Health, character and education are the only real wealth we actually possess. Everything else is on loan.

Never sing your own praises. Others will do that plenty for you, but don’t believe them. Stay grounded.

Friendship in adulthood is rare, but it does happen. Remember, to have a friend, you must be a friend.

Marriage is a decision. Staying married is a decision. It takes work, it takes two and it won’t always be easy, but if you’ve found the right mate, it will rarely be difficult. There will be worries and stress. Your children will be your greatest joy.

Parenting—call me. Not enough paper here.

Give. Don’t lend; especially money. It entangles you in a web of resentment and pain. Often the debt cannot be repaid and then you lose a friend. Give happily and freely. The universe has a way of balancing all things and you may retain a friend.

Similarly, you cannot always repay kindnesses shown to you by others. You must pass them along.

Forget talk of the end of the world. This world ends eventually for every man.

It breaks my heart, but they’ve closed the door. The plane’s loaded. Boarding will start soon. There is just one more thing.

Some adults become jaded and cynical. For them life has lost its flavor. That is because they no longer possess Wonder.

Wonder at the setting sun and violet star scattered heavens hung with golden moon. Wonder at the migratory geese flying purposefully overhead and the dew-kissed clover. Wonder at the shooting star and at the babbling mountain brook. Wonder at thoughts of the unknown universe, and Wonder at the tenuous proposition of life itself.

Wonder is the last vestige of childhood innocence left to the adult. It is the Exception gifted to humans by the Almighty to keep alive the magic of childhood. Lose Wonder and life no longer holds beauty.

We are stardust infused with eternal life. Right now our bodies are composed of atoms born at the dawn of time. Those atoms have comprised countless nebulae, stars and planets before they came to reside in us. And those atoms remember. We are a part of eternity. We are within the universe and the universe is within us. It is a closed system neither gaining, nor losing energy. The life-energy within us which animates all living things never dies. Ashes go to ashes, but life returns to life. Yield gracefully and give fear of hereafter no purchase within your heart.

Spend as much time in nature as you can. For it is our cathedral.

Now, you must go. My heart is filled with happiness for your going, but my eyes fill with tears at your leaving. Go now.

I love you.

Copyright, 2012  Luke Saucier

2 comments:

  1. Wow, I just had a feeling I should take time out to read this one. Somehow, it just was drawing me in. I am so glad I read this beautifully written piece that expresses so many sentiments all parents feel as they have a child leaving the nest. Randy read it with me, as he likes to express things similar to your words written here to our children. Thank you for sharing such beautiful, loving advice and feelings. Love, Colleen

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  2. Sorry, guess I come up as "Mom" when I post on our daughter's blog. Don't mean to spook you there! LOL! Colleen

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