here’s a cut-and-paste from an inspirational post to the oslist by Agneta Setterwall from Uppsala, Sweden.
I am in the beginning of an interrail, backpackertrip with my 13yearold youngest daughter. We are jumping blind into Europe, going south tonight. We know that we will be in London next week. We know that we will cross Calais-Dover. We know that we can travel in all Europe (we already have the interrailtickets). We know that we don?t have much money. I know that I want to learn this young person things about how to travel and how to become streetsmart enough so that I(!) can be calm (calmer) in the years to come…
i am so moved my her inclination to teach her daughter how to travel and be street smart by sharing such a meaningful adventure together. i am also moved by her effort to calm her own worries in years to come.
it makes me think about my own father and camping. as a child we went on many camping trips. in my highschool years my dad suggested that my friends and i start going camping together. if we all enjoyed hanging out so much and being together, why not take it to the woods (another thing we all enjoyed). years later he shared that that was also a way of helping him know that we were safe. he figured the amount of harm we could actually do to ourselves in the woods was much less than if we were wandering the streets of downtown atlanta.
so today feels like a good day to celebrate gratitude for the parents in our lives who nurture us, stretch us, open us to new vistas, remind us of our value and worth, connect us to the Beyond, the One. They are as intrinsic to our lives as every cell and membrane and belief we are.
They are ocean to our river and river to our ocean. Thank you.
comments:
Last night I finally signed on to the OST list. Rommel gave me an invite for Gmail, and it has made a world of difference in my ability to handle the various email lists I was already on, let alone adding OST to the list.
Anyway…
The email from Agneta was the first email I received from the list, and I found her desire to head out on the railways with her daughter inspiring. It’s a shame they only seem to have two weeks.
I’ve had a similar idea of traveling Europe with Brandon when he gets a little older. It would be truly wonderful to not only encourage Brandon to expand his horizons, but to be present to witness it.
And though I hadn’t thought of it that way previously, there’s a lot to be said to being there the first time out, so I can feel more comfortable down the road when he heads out places without me.
Hmm…. Plotting and planning…
-Dave
Dave | 07.03.04 – 2:22 pm | #
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(oh, good on you, Dave for joining the OSList!)
When Robert & I got married 20 years ago, we made plans to take all our wedding gifts and put them towards traveling. Both our sets of parents encouraged us, suggesting to their friends that we wouldn’t really need household gifts but would really appreciate money towards our trip; they didn’t express any nervousness or disapproval about our plans…we traveled all around east Asia for a year, plus another half a year in Israel and Europe. Now, being a parent, I am so amazed at their fortitude and ability to refrain from expressing their natural worries about our doing something so different from anything they’d done themselves. Such good models for me!
Christy Lee-Engel | Homepage | 07.03.04 – 5:56 pm | #
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oh dave, it’s great to know that you are now among the participants of the oslist!
inspirational parents… i can never get enough of you all!
thanks christy for igniting all sorts of fabulous dreams regarding wedding presents towards traveling, a year and a half traveling with your new life-partner, and the potential of creating new trends in family relations. inspiration of the greatest sort!!
Gmail… is that the google function for email? i just heard about that for the first time this weekend… i must learn more.
toodles,
ashley
ashley | Email | Homepage | 07.04.04 – 1:28 pm | #
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Yep. Gmail is Google’s answer to Hotmail and Yahoo mail. It’s VERY well done. Right now they’re still testing it, and it’s by invite only. They dole out invites to existing users to pass along to others. When they give me an invite, I’ll pass it along to you.
Dave | 07.04.04 – 4:45 pm | #
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You obviously have a great father who is warmed by your thirst for independence and comfort.
henrietta | 07.07.04 – 12:28 pm | #
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you’re must be right, henri! i’m so very gratefull.
with love,
ashley
ashley | Email | Homepage | 07.07.04 – 12:34 pm | #
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happy to find this place!
we are now in London, in the house of Annette Zera, who I met through a Birgitt W.training some years ago.
Yes, two weeks is not much, but I have two children (older) at home, and Blenda wants to get back before her birthday.
Four years ago I did the same with her older sister, Amanda, then 13. We just had 10 days on the road (or rail), and that was goodenough to give us the time- and roomspace we needed to let a quality grove, a kind of new beeing-together, a fellowship. I certainly got calmer, and Amanda have after that travelled on her own and have not got lost.
Now, out on the streets of London…
Agneta
Agneta Setterwall | Email | 07.08.04 – 6:43 am | #
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hi agneta!
i know so many of us were delighted with your post to the oslist about your journey, so it is fun to have a report from the trail!
best wishes from the north carolina mountains,
chris weaver | Email | 07.10.04 – 9:41 am | #
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We have now been in London four days, and had plans to go to Berlin where we were invited to stay in the Pannwitz’ home. Yesterday when I tried to book the tickets from London to Berlin, using
our Interrailcards, I met difficulties. “England” seams not so
interested in making it easy to leave, at least not for slow
budgettravellers. The difficulties however gave us space to think, feel
and talk. While my feelings mostly consisted of irritation, thoughts
about young and arrogant railwaypersons and so on, Blenda unfolded a
complex inner of mixed emotions and conflicting thoughts, transforming
and changing through a long conversation, gently supported by our
hosts.
(it is not possible to write more then 1000 signs, so I will continue in next message…)
Agneta Setterwall | Email | 07.12.04 – 4:47 am | #
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The result of a lot of genuine contact, tears and hesitation is that we
are not going to Berlin NOW. Blenda have had enough of sitting on
trains, and have learned that “seeing as much as possible” can result
in seeing nothing. She now wants to go home, and continue our vacation
together there in the sense that I will have as much time for her as I
have had on this trip. In our normal life I am not seldom a very busy
mother, with 15 arms. (running my own bussiness, single mother of three, house and garden, not much money…)
So this is what I have learned: Blenda wants most of all that I really spend time with her. I know that I am lucky that she wants me to, and I know the time is NOW, not later.
Tomorrow we will leave London, going back to Sweden the slow oldfashioned way. It will take ur more then 12 hours. Then we will continue our “travel” at home.
Agneta
Agneta Setterwall | Email | 07.12.04 – 4:47 am | #
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my family too has chosen to travel at home before, & it can be a beautiful journey.
we have also discovered how a retreat apart can sometimes be a way of being together in a deeper way.
living connected & restoring connection is a subtle & rigorous art…
love,
chris weaver | Email | 07.13.04 – 6:54 am | #
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hi agneta,
feel free to keep sharing about your vacation (and life!) with us… you continue to be an inspiration as you are so open to learning with and from your daughter.
the reminder that i also hear in your words is for parents to take as many opportunities as possible to just BE with thier children… no responsibilities, activities, expectations attached. simply sharing NOW with one another.
in the parenting groups that i facilitate parents have 30 minute play sessions once a week that are completely dedicated to the child having 100% of their parent’s attention and being in control. your story reminds me of how important this is, regardless of the child’s age.
with love,
ashley
ashley | Email | Homepage | 07.13.04 – 11:33 pm | #