October 5, 2009

on raising beautiful weirdos

Dear Mr. Mitchell, whoever you are,

Thank you for your recent essay explaining why I've spent my best years turning three perfectly beautiful babies into quirky oddballs.  It's an essay I've been meaning to write for years, but since you so kindly did my homework for me, I now have the afternoon free to go listen to my beautiful weirdos sing and laugh their way through bits of Gilbert & Sullivan operettas at the piano while I make pesto with basil from their herb garden.   

Warmly,
Queen Shenaynay


I suspect you'll feel better after you read this.  A snippet:

If a proper education is to accomplish or at least to seek to accomplish these tasks, then a normal child is one whose moral imagination is well formed, whose soul is oriented toward a love of logos and the Logos, and who knows and loves the best of his own civilization. Such a child will, perhaps unwittingly, become a steward of the good, the true, and the beautiful. In a world where normal is considered odd, such children are desperately needed.

~ Mark T. Mitchell, Education Normal, from the Touchstone magazine archives

Please do go read the whole thing.  A little vindication now and then is sweet for your soul.  Pesto recipe available upon request.

2 comments:

Kate said...

You have no idea how many people get annoyed at me or just think I'm strange for nicely if vocally defending the good, the true, and the beautiful. Apparently critizing John and Kate plus 8, rhapsodizing over the color of grass, and trying to communicate the importance of the syntax of the Word of God is unnecessarily opinionated, homeschoolish, and as you said, odd.
I actually needed some vindication for myself just now, having barely returned from four days with people that I love, but can't really completely understand. I MISS MY BRUCES!!!

Lynn Bruce said...

We miss you, too, Bonny Kate.