“I can never read all the books I want; I can never be all the people I want and live all the lives I want. I can never train myself in all the skills I want. And why do I want? I want to live and feel all the shades, tones and variations of mental and physical experience possible in life. And I am horribly limited.” --Sylvia Plath

Sunday, April 10, 2011

"What will you tell your daughter?"

J and I have been asked this a few times by people who are very concerned when they learn that we are not raising Evelyn in any religion or to believe in any god. It's an awkward question, and it's been asked in an accusing manner, as if we're somehow failing her by not telling her what she should believe. Before she was even born, we knew that we would raise her to be aware of all the religions of the world, and also to be aware that religion and belief in a god is not necessary to be happy, that, in fact, there is so much right here and now to be happy for and find inspiration in.....and to trust her to make her own lifestyle decisions when she is old enough to fully comprehend what religion and life even are (how thankful I am that I was never told what to believe).

I was thinking about this today when we were at the Minnesota Children's Museum. It was so fun to watch Evelyn explore her environment, to watch the curiosity and wonder in her eyes as she ventured through the exhibits of art, science, culture, earth, life.... And I realized that answers to the question "What will you tell your daughter?" were all around us:


We are going to tell her to pursue her creative instincts....


....to study world history, to appreciate art...


....to have an open mind and the ability to consider multiple perspectives at once, to have compassion, understanding, and respect....


....to explore the physics of the universe and the wonders of Earth and its elements....

....to never stop learning....

....to never cease being amazed.
posted by Sarah at 7:29 PM
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6 comments:

  1. SnowbrushApril 10, 2011 at 8:48 PM

    I love your answer. I'm ever amazed by how many atheists take their kids to church at some point because they somehow think it will do them good. Well, maybe it will, but then so might taking your son to a brothel, but I wouldn't want to risk it.

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  2. Andrea L. ColeApril 10, 2011 at 9:00 PM

    I love this.

    I've always been bothered when people equate atheism with cynicism and assume that you cannot take wonder in the world if you don't believe in some divine reason behind it all. The lack of a creator doesn't make the world around us any less miraculous. And I think many theists don't understand that.

    I also want to teach my girls to find strength in themselves, rather than in a long-dead historical figure, and to be good and kind to others out of empathy, rather than because a book tells them they'll go someplace special when they die (or that they'll go somewhere terrible if they aren't good)

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  3. Andrew HallApril 11, 2011 at 6:19 AM

    Nice pics. She has a serious look about her.

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  4. SarahApril 11, 2011 at 7:06 AM

    Thanks for your thoughts, everyone.

    Yandie - I agree - I want to teach her to find strength in herself, and to find an inner source of happiness...

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  5. Johann the CabbieApril 13, 2011 at 6:58 AM

    I like what Tim Minchin says in his poem, "Storm."

    "Isn't this enough? Just this world?
    Just this beautiful, complex, wonderfully unfathomable, natural world? How does it so fail to hold our attention that we have to diminish it with the invention of cheap, man made myths and monsters?"

    If you haven't heard it yet, or seen the cartoon, YouTube it. I think you'll appreciate it.

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  6. SarahApril 15, 2011 at 4:50 PM

    That's a great quote-thanks!

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