We have been looking for that gender-neutrally named "mother's day out" program. Vivian thinks she has found one that will take her. Lots of outdoor time and a garden that the children tend and small groups of kids and a likable director and a relaxed view of discipline.
And fifteen minutes of chapel time once a week. Yes - it's minimal. No - it probably won't do any lasting damage. Yes - it is a church and isn't that why you send your kid to church. Yes - parents usually approve.
Should I de-program Vivian for 15 minutes a week? Vivian - why shouldn't you kill? Steal? Or covet your neighbor's wife? Should you fear eternal damnation? Should you be forgiven for your sins when you say a few words or take a dip in a holy river? Should you let the clear stream of reason lose its way in the dreary desert sand of dead habit*? Should we read a fairy tale called "The Emperor's New Clothes"?
Or should I let it go? Will I miss the frequent calls to the director's office to explain why Vivian couldn't have been serious when she told little Johnny to go to hell....
*from a poem by Rabindranath Tagore - the bard of my peeps. A bit of a perversion - the poem is often titled "Prarthona" or prayer in Bangla. And it is (or at least was) the HPS school prayer. But it's also titled "Where the mind is without fear".
2 comments:
I'm just imagining the expression on your face when Vivian starts asking about God or being blessed. 15 minutes is about 1/48th or .02 of her time in a week of class. I think she will turn out OK.
pease
I'll drink a beer and chill. I do worry about what she'll tell the other kids...
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