Last fall, I read aloud Columbus by Ingri & Edgar Parin D'Aulaire to Levi. I was very excited at the prospect of reading this series again, which has been reprinted by Beautiful Feet Books. This is my second go around with this particular picture book. However, it's been quite some time and I had forgotten some of the details. On this second reading, I was especially awestruck with the following passage from page 10....
When Christopher was thirteen, he left his father's house and sailed out in to the world to seek his fortune as a seaman. He felt free as the gulls as he saw his native town fade out of sight. Soon he rose above his shipmates, for he was clever and capable and could make others carry out his orders. He was still a very young man when he became captain of a ship. For many years he busily sailed his ship back and forth across the Mediterranean Sea and had little time to wonder whether the world was round or flat, small or big.Just think, Columbus left his father's house at age thirteen! I had a 13-year old boy at the time of re-reading so this idea really struck a cord with me. One of our goals in home educating is to nurture competent and capable adults. I would be heart sickened to see my thirteen year old leave home because I'm not ready to let go and yet, I feel he is quite able to do so. Our current culture holds young adults back from responsibility that they are more than capable of taking on. Don't be afraid to give your children chores. You are doing them a favor!
In reading this passage, I was also prompted with thoughts of our current culture's young people having failure to launch issues. I can't help but wonder if they were reading more stories with good moral character, virtue, and motivation, that they would gain those qualities as well and not fail to launch. Don't be fooled by the simplicity of picture books. They often give much food for thought!
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