Nonas choice regarding confirmation |
Background:At a certain age most teenagers in our country are offered the extra-curricular course developed by the Swedish church to study basic Christian teaching (in their format!!). To complete this 'Confirmation' process, each must make a personal decision as what kind of relationship each individual wishes to have with religion in this form. This is especially true for our children who haven't been baptized into the church at birth as the cultural tradition ordinarily is. To finalize confirmation, our children must also make the decision of baptism into the Swedish church. We have made it clear to each of our children that we as parents leave this decision completely up to them as individuals, and that we will support each of them, and be equally proud of them, regardless of how each should choose in this matter. Rebecka, Ellen och Eleanore have choosen to follow this cultural tradition. Alfons and now Nona have made the decision ato find direction, moral guidance and inspiration elsewhere. We as parents have promised to supported them completely in their decision– which ever way they may choose. |
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Nona we are proud of your
choices and want you
to know it!!
We are quite aware of the spagetti of
worries and feeling and issues and hopes and fears and plans that begin to
move move back and forth and up and down in girls your age.----
These feelings even sometimes
collide and make big noices in the every day thought process that is
developing within you. Remember Nona, that to us, you are quite
special and unique, and we love you for it. We support you fully in this decision and are proud of the will we see in you to chart your own course .. and to take your own personal responsibility for determining the many colourful shades of right and wrong as you see them yourself ... We also trust that you will then find ways to suitably apply them to your life as you live it. Now of our six children, 3 have choosen confirmation according to Swedish Luthern and custom .. and 3 who have choosen a more secular course. We are immensly proud of you all --- and when all is said and done, we don't notice much of a fundemental difference at all in the way each of you look at life.
The older I get the less advice I seem to
have to share with my children … I have learned that life is a
better teacher than I could ever be … and that I have become more
satisfied and thankful for the role of front row observer of the wonder and
beauty as ideals and values and practical realities
move forward in your lives -- The future is a frontier of develoment
in our society that none of us can
really forsee or understand -- I'm sure it will be good. My
only hope is for a life of fullfillment for you all.
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