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.

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.

Through it all, as with your sibblings, we have had the privelage of watching you make some of the first real important decisions for your life on your own this last year. When the issue of confirmation in the Swedish church came up for you,  as it also had for a number of your friends  … you gave it careful thought .. but then choose to build your personal system of moral values on another foundation than on religious systemology.

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.

Take care Nona ..