letters to my daughter

For the first time in her life, our dear daughter Z flew solo to attend a ten day program in another East Coast city.  To be honest, Fr G and I required her to apply to the program, just like we require our children to eat their vegetables.  She wasn't keen on going at all, but if she went, she wanted to be there at the same time as her good friend (who isn't eligible until the summer of 2022).  We prevailed, and she was accepted, so off she went!

She returned yesterday, exhausted and glowing, refreshed to her fingertips.  On the ride home from the airport, she casually mentioned that there's a retreat for the alumni of the program, and a possible reunion.  I'd say, despite her protests about applying and going, that the whole experience was spiritually profitable.

While she was there, she was not allowed to have her phone (no hardship for her--she sees technology as a necessary annoyance), nor was she allowed to call us but once.  She was allowed to receive letters via email, and every morning I sat where I'm sitting right now, at our dining room table, composing a letter to her.  The practice of looking over my yesterdays and anticipating the joy of each new day, and then committing those meditations to paper probably benefitted me even more that receiving the notes benefitted her!  I may continue writing letters to myself so that I have a record of the little excitements and delights of each day.  They are so very small and humble, the moments that make up our days, but taken together they are a life.

Here are a few excerpts of the letters, for posterity:

June 13, 2021

Yesterday Kyria Athenaes left some little goodies on the doorstep for you—chocolates, sweets, some flowers and some bookends.  It was very sweet of her, since she knows how much you love to read.  The flowers currently grace the dining room table.  I have no idea what kind they are; I’ve never seen them before.  There are some branches with small, curly, mottled leaves, and some buds whose leaves look daisy-ish.  If the buds open, I’ll let you know what kind of flowers they are.  I hid the chocolates and sweets.  Fingers crossed that the boys don’t find them.  I do hope Kyria Athenaes is feeling better.  I marvel at people’s ability to think of others when they’re suffering themselves.

This morning we were devastated to learn that the praying mantis had died overnight.  It was looking pretty peaky yesterday, and I had resolved to release it this morning…only to find it was legs-up on the bottom of the jar.  M was especially upset at the tender age of the mantis at its demise.  The ladybug larvae on the milkweed consoled her, though.  I stopped counting them at 20, and there are a few adult ladybugs crawling over the leaves, too!  I hope there are enough aphids to feed such a voracious population.  I don’t think M can weather more tragic insect deaths.

June 15, 2021

Some trivial but exciting news:  I figured out how to use the sandwich press so that it doesn’t make a mess!  Just sandwich the sandwich in parchment paper!  Voilá!  We had delicious cheese-and-meat panini for dinner and didn’t have to scrape any melted cheese from the machine.  I hope this opens up a whole new sandwich world for you…I’m thinking grilled breakfast sandwiches, quesadillas…so many options.

It’s sunny and cool this morning here, although it looks like your weather is even cooler.  Last night we had a terrific thunderstorm just after Babá got home from a meeting.  The hail rattled the windows, like someone was throwing marbles at them.  I went out to the little front entryway to see the hail, and it was pouring in sheets. Just when I thought, “This is the hardest it’s ever rained here,”  the wind whipped everything into a frenzy and the rain poured even harder. I’m shocked we don’t have more limbs and trees on the ground and that we still have power.  Other than a few extra leaves on the ground and damp pavement, you’d never know last night was so wild.

June 17, 2021

Last night T and M did well at the meet!  T and I talked about how sometimes we get better at things, without any special practice, when we’ve had time to grow.  Remember how frustrated he was about swimming last year? This year has been such a different experience!  He’s excited to go to practice and has met a few friends.  His actual swimming has improved so much, too, although during the one race I saw his goggles fell off.  It’s hard to breathe with goggles around one’s mouth, but he soldiered on.

The milkweed got knocked over in the storm we had the other night, but it’s rallying!  On one plant, the green flower buds are blushing dusty pink, and there are more buds on the rest of the plants.  Many of our ladybug larvae are pupating, so there will be sweet little ladybugs soon!  And maybe even more eggs and larvae, too.  When the aphids first appeared, I thought about ordering some ladybugs, but it was too expensive to justify.  And now we have a spontaneous ladybug colony!  An aphid infestation is good for something, I suppose.

June 18, 2021

I was noticing this morning how far north the sun has gotten already this season.  During the winter, I can watch sunrise from the southern corner window in the sunroom; as I type this email, it is dazzling my eyes from the northern-most window in the dining room.  Summer light is just the best.  One of the reasons I rise so early each day is to enjoy each moment of it.  M is the only one up right now, and she’s quietly consuming her breakfast (cereal, again).  That same gentleman from church that gives us eggs gave us some more, mostly a delicate bluish green color.  It seemed a shame for the boys to break them open yesterday to make their fried eggs and omelettes, the jagged edges no longer holding the same beauty of the whole.  I hope there will still be some around when you return.  

I'm off to rouse my swimmers for early morning practice, to drag the recycling to the curb, and to pack breakfast for said swimmers.  I also need to do some adult things today, like schedule (and finance) driving lessons for Z.  Pray for me!  

God bless you today!