#11-1: Over Utah in January: Thoughts on Wonder and Family
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The Hope Chest with Virginia Knowles
#11-1: Over Utah in January: Thoughts on Wonder and Family
January 2008
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The Hope Chest is a free e-mail magazine sent to about 1200 families around the world.
The publisher is Virginia Knowles, wife to Thad and mother of 10 children.
Check out Virginia's web site at http://www.VirginiaKnowles.com or e-mail her at [email protected].
Welcome to the January 2008 edition of the Hope Chest! Since I am on a sabbatical from substantial writing after this month, future issues will either be very short, or will contain articles that I already wrote or that I am writing for other purposes. The next issue will be "The Bible as Literature" (which I already put together for a workshop I am teaching this weekend), and the issue after that will be "Home Schooling with Purpose, Grace and Joy" (which I wrote a few months ago but never sent out). If you have comments on either of these topics, please send them along so we can all get a broader perspective.
If you would rather read this issue on-line with photographs, click here: http://www.VirginiaKnowles.com/OverUtahInJanuary
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Over Utah in January
By Virginia Knowles
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Over Utah in January
by Virginia Knowles
I am in the sky looking down on
Vast speechless stretches of frozen white
Curved round and round by
Slicing crevices and streams
And human roads abandoned though they be
Foothills then soaring mountains beyond
Majestic tall yet distant small
From the sky where I look down
Clustering pines (wilderness steeples)
Defer to barren ground below
Shedding to it cumbering, nurturing snow
Upright spires green
Evergreen over branches, trunks, rough and woody brown
Rooted deeply into ascending slope
Yet as living arrows aiming high
To the sky where I look down
Up and over mountain towers, fly
Peering through mottled fog outstretched
Amid earthy upturned layers, variegated ripples
Shadow clouds now upwisping sharply angled peaks
Oh! These are of no human construct or design
Not even marked by footprints in pristine snow
Just fingerprints, signatures divine
Where winter earth meets winter sky
Yet in the valley I see manly habitation
In patterned rows, casual curves beneath the mist
Nestled in yet beckoned to a deep and high communion
Only bold ones venture beyond certain fringes
Strive upward, breathe hard, ascending steep, behold
Some faithful cannot climb but still lift souls to see, to know and long to know
Others seem content merely to stroll in evenness beneath, below
Oblivious to wonder
I am in the sky looking down
Then gazing up in awe at Him
Who gazes down in grace on me below
On me, who sees and longs to know
(P.S. I think this poem takes a second reading to "get it"! Do you have a few extra minutes to let it sink in one more time? You can find the poem on-line with accompanying photographs at http://www.VirginiaKnowles.com/OverUtahInJanuary)
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"Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God." Psalm 90:2
"In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also." Psalm 95:4
"For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth—the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name!" Amos 4:13
"I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1-2
"For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made." Romans 1:20
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Notes on Sunday, January 20: As most of you know, my paternal grandmother Margaret Driggs passed away on January 13 in Denver, Colorado at the age of 98. (Obituary: http://obit.horanandmcconaty.com/obitdisplay.html?id=494958&listing=Current). A few days ago I flew to Salt Lake City for her funeral. I wrote the first draft of "Over Utah in January" on the airplane in my way in. I hadn't realized just how mountainous Utah is in areas! I tend to think of it only as the Great Salt Lake and endless miles of salt flats. I was so taken by the snowy mountains that we spent the better part of one day just driving around taking pictures. But even from our hotel and from the cemetery, and really wherever we went, we only had to lift our eyes to see the towering mountains surrounding us – and I think I gasped in amazement every single time. (Can you tell I am from Florida, where we have neither mountains nor snow?) We also enjoyed the exceedingly gracious hospitality of the extended Driggs / Christensen families who are the kin of Grandma's second husband Dr. Howard R. Driggs (Bio: http://www.li.suu.edu/driggscollection/biography.html), a noted historian, professor and prolific author who died in 1963. The descendents of polygamous pioneers who settled the area in 1852 during the Mormon migration, they also know their history very well and were delighted to share fascinating stories with this non-Mormon mama of 10. I also enjoyed hearing family stories about my grandmother's family from my dad, including the one about my great-grandmother, William Brazier, still laying block at age 89. I even recorded some of them on my MP3 player at the funeral and as we drove to the airport to pick up his brother. As I type these words, "I am in the sky looking down" again on my way home, full of sweet memories.
More notes on Wednesday, January 23: I lay in bed this morning and was musing on the fact that mountains and trees may reflect the splendor and glory of creation, but our own family members are made in the image of the Creator himself. We are surrounded by masterpieces in our own homes – and yet how many of us our "oblivious to wonder" in the presence of our own husbands and children? And how many of us are so occupied with our own lives, or so intent on making them conform to our own behavioral and academic expectations that we miss out on seeing their hearts and minds (and ours) transformed and renewed by sanctified imagination and wonder, by grace and love? Are we nurturing their unique spark of life, or squelching it? I have to ask myself that when my kids sing Gershwin at full volume, or bring out the acrylic paints to decorate a gift box, or stop every ten steps on our walk to pick up piles of acorns (at least it's not worms!), or cover the wall with crayon drawings (with or without the paper!) or turn the kitchen inside out making calzone from scratch... Life with God (and with each other) is not just about a list of things "not to do" but a vivid, sparkling adventure into the great deep and high. Are we gazing into his glory?
How does this practically fit into our home schooling program? On Mondays, I teach a middle school English class in our co-op. This week, I decided to lay aside my regular grammar, literature, and vocabulary lesson plans. Instead, I read aloud my poem "Over Utah in January." Then I read it again while showing my mountain, snow, and tree photographs on Mary's laptop computer. On this second reading, I also stopped to comment on any words in it that might be unfamiliar (such as variegated and oblivious), as well as explain some of the symbolism I used. As a lesson on the writing process, I told how I had written the first draft on the plane in my journal, and then worked on it some more in the airport terminal and my hotel. For best results, we let the ideas flow when we first write, but then we polish it until it shines just the way we want it. After the poetry, I showed them a few antique photos of my grandmother as a child, and as an elegant young woman in the 1920s. I brought out some books that Dr. Driggs had written, and read an exciting excerpt from Money Rock, his children's novel about the Pony Express. I also flipped through his book The Old West Speaks, which has numerous prints from the famed frontier illustrator William Henry Jackson. Since Mitt Romney is a presidential candidate, I also summarized for them a little about Mormon theology, history and lifestyle, which is quite different from our own. I finished up by recapping with them how personal stories and community history are passed down through oral, written, musical, and pictorial means. I encouraged them to take the time to initiate conversations with relatives and friends about themes deeper than the weather and amusements. This is such a vital communication skill. After all, we are each a masterpiece from God's hand! Shouldn't we pause to enjoy his artistry in the form of other precious human beings? Sharing life together is what home schooling is all about...
If you would like to further explore the idea of wonder, imagination, creativity, love and grace in home schooling, I recommend Monte Swan's excellent book, Romancing Your Child's Heart. You can also find out more at his web site: http://www.rychfamilies.com/.
I want to encourage you to explore your own family stories and memories, whether it is the husband and kids right in your own home, or the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins beyond. Here are a few ideas for you:
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Host a family reunion. This can be a great school project as you plan the event, send out invitations, cook, etc.
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Write letters to relatives and ask them about their memories of growing up.
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Interview an older relative in person while someone records with a video camera.
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Write an ABC list about a family member. Think of a word related to them for each letter of the alphabet. This might include the state where they live, or their favorite food, or a hobby, or a nickname, or anything else that reminds you of them. Send them the list!
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Write a poem or a biographical report about a favorite relative.
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Assemble a photo album with all of those pictures that are sitting around in shoeboxes. Or organize your digital photos on your computer, and upload them to a photo web site to share with loved ones.
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Start a blog and invite family members to contribute their own stories. Or send out a regular family newsletter by e-mail.
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Look through photo albums or scrap books from when Mom and Dad were young, and tell any stories that you remember.
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Ask if there are any family histories or genealogies compiled about your family.
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Fix a meal using recipes from the countries where your ancestors came from.
A few notes on two of my own children: Melody, who is two and a half, has been particularly cute lately. I was checking the throats of some of our older girls when we had strep in the house a couple of weeks ago, and after that Melody took the flash light, pointed it into her own little mouth just like she had seen me do, opened wide, and crooned "AAAAHH!" Then she ran for her pillow and blanket, made herself a comfy nest on the couch, hopped in, and pulled her blanket up over her, just like Lydia was doing on the other couch. When she sees me doing laundry, she runs for her own little hamper and brings it out to laundry room, and dumps them in the washer. Then, to "help" some more, she makes me pick her up (she's quite a chunk!) to push the start button. Now we are preparing for potty training.... Lord have mercy! Can't I just send her off to a potty training boarding school somewhere? She sure is irresistably cute, though! I guess that makes up for all of her mischief.
As a reminder, Gary Thomas (http://www.GaryThomas.com) will also be speaking at our church, Metro Life (http://www.MetroLife.org) in Casselberry Florida this Sunday, January 27 at 10 AM. I highly commend Gary's ministry.
I would love to hear your comments on any of the topics in this issue or the upcoming ones on "The Bible as Literature" and "Home Schooling with Purpose, Grace and Joy"!
Blessings,
Virginia Knowles