My grandmother, now 100 years old, told me a few years ago that people used to ask her when her sons were young how she could stand to have them so far away, off at school in New England."Pffft," she said. "As long as I know they're happy and doing well, what difference does the distance make?"
And so I present: her 19-year-old great-granddaughter (on top) and friends, at a pumpkin patch in Oregon, some 2500 miles away. I have to admit that email probably makes the distance a lot easier to bear. But my grandmother is right: the happiness on those beautiful faces is the important thing.
6 comments:
they do look happy.
I couldn't agree more. When people ask how I can send my children to camp so far away and for so long I remind them that: a. the kids are ecstatically happy having experiences I could never provide them
b. they're only a plane flight away
They should be listening to "Hay Wrap".
There's far and then there's FAR. My daughter is in Russia for the year doing an internship and graduate class at Moscow State U. Like yours, my kids have always been encouraged to experience the world; they've travelled further afield than I have in my entire life. E-mail and international phone cards are indeed magical. Hopping on a plane--not really an option. (We need to get passports in case of emergency!) But everytime I've been blue over having either one of them abroad for an extended period (my son last year), I've thought about mothers of our soldiers. Now that's real courage to let your children follow their heart. Great fall photo! *debbi*
I agree, and wow, what a great pic!
Judi
Your gm is a wise woman. My sil once told me that the whole point of parenting is to teach your children to be able to find their way in the world - holding them close and over-controlling their environment doesn't help the process at all.
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