Even
just your name (Nona Marie) reminds us of an amazing break up and
journey for our entire family since your arrival into our
lives June 22nd 2000 . It has been most wonderful, better than expected
and life enhancing in so many ways for us all.
I wish
that you being child number 6 in the family would have meant that we
had become more capable parents for you than we were for number 1.
Sorry -- but each of you have been so wonderfully unique that it has
meant starting all over from the very begining with each of you -
Each has brought new and wonderful experience in all our efforts to create a
home and family environment to suitably encompass just your own
individual and amazing beings.
The
legal system of our culture makes turning 18 a major milestone ...
Your identity becomes separate from ours by law! -- I hope that you
can accept that this never ever will happen in our hearts -- Nona, you will
always be ours -- even as we lose the capacity or strength to influence,
encourage or support you, as we always will wish that we could. This is part of the blessing and of the curse of being part of a
family such as ours!
The
complexity of life in our society makes it hard to find much
hard and fast practical advise to safely share with you ... Both your mother and I
trust the basic values that we have seen grow and become important
to you -- and we are so proud of you in this --- The only
advice that seems right at the moment would be for you to strive to
keep these values in your daily focus ... Sometimes the
struggle for simple daily survival pushes matters of principle
and moral dignity into the foggy background in the priorities of life.
Just remember that the search for fullfillment and satisfaction in
life (which is our greatest wish for you) is most fruitful when these honorable principles and values
can be syncronized with daily life and practially inserted into the
process of unassuming ordinary days. Matters of
principle and of daily life should never be regarded as 2 separate
issues.
The future is a very large chapter facing you at the moment.. and we
wish you all the very best as you write both the captions and the
content of this wonderful work -- the book of life that is open before you
here and now -- Nona, write with care but write it freely --
and may the pen you write with be firm, but also soft and gentle!.
Your mom and dad
|