Casting Off

This was my grown up book club read for November.  At first, I was skeptical.  My favorite 15 year old daughter had picked up the book in early October (she was desperate for something, anything to read) and read it for about 50 pages and returned it to the book stack with a very disgusted, "STUPID!"

But about 4 days before book club, I pulled it out and started reading.  Oh my goodness.  I very much enjoyed this journey. 

Set in Ireland, one of my favorite 'book' places, it's just a nice little story.  I tabbed several passages that really hit me....this is one of my most favorite:

"Love sets free and binds, all at once.  For the parent, love is binding.  

Many freedoms are given up--choices are limited.  

Out of love and respect for the child's needs, 

no parent can do just what they want to at all times.  

A parent always is bound to the child, don't you think?  

But a child must be set free to choose her life.  That is what it is to have a child.  

Sometimes parents think that they have children to 

teach the children something.  

Children are given by the Lord as lessons for the parents--the greatest lesson of love.  

And what do you suppose that lesson of love is?

To be bound but to let go."

--dickson, page 185

To be bound but to let go.  Oh. My.  Just sayin'.