Jane Eyre--Commentary on Love

Today I finished reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.  What a passionate book.  It was very thought provoking.  I would like to comment on my beliefs concerning the passionate love between Mr. Rochester and Jane Eyre.  I found it to be of a dream-like quality, and yet I wonder, "Is it reality?"  Jane Eyre said,

"There was no harassing restraint, no repressing of glee and vivacity with him; for with him I was at perfect ease, because I knew I suited him: all I said or did seemed either to console or revive him.  Delightful consciousness:  It brought to life and light my whole nature: in his presence I thoroughly lived; and he lived in mine"  (Chapter 37  pp. 457 Jane Eyre)

Is this possible?  I wondered if the author experienced this kind of love herself or was she just dreaming of what she hoped would be possible?  Further research  into Charlotte Bronte reveals that when she wrote this book she had yet to find a relationship of such congeniality, rather she had several offers of marriage that were more of the St. John (a character in the book that offers companionship, but not love) type, which she refused.  Her first known love, was a married professor, which was unrequited and we have no reason to believe he ever returned her feelings.  The question then lies, can there be a constant passionate love that is so selfless and beautiful, as the author dishes out so refreshingly to us, or is it just a fairy tale?  I resoundlingly say, "Yes it is possible," but it lies only in the goodness of each individual.  Here is my thinking: if one lives with an angel, they will either rise and become an angel themselves, or they will relinquish all rights to the relationship because of discomfort in associating with that which they are not.  Only those that have obtained charity and love in their very being can return this kind of self-less passionate love to a spouse.  I believe Jane, finding God through her friend Ellen, had an early understanding of how to treat others.  I believe Mr. Rochester  found his way back to God and, therefore, charity (which is the pure love of Christ) through what he called "God's judgment" through the loss of his hand and sight.  I firmly belive if two people going through the rigors of life humble themselves and become patient and full of love, they can have such a passionate love.  It is possible, but only through self-sacrifice; there can be no selfishness in them, which is quite a difficult feat for all human souls.  I find myself lacking this necessary quality.  At times I have obtained it and I can only say it is pure joy, yet it is fleeting as I find myself, or rather my selfishness, getting in the way.  I encourage all to seek after this pure charity, as the blessings, of which Charlotte Bronte gives us a peek, are beyond the scope of the imagination.

Weather

Woke up to 6 inches of snow on the 9th of October!!  Incredible, even the city's machines are working.  I guess I know I'm definitely in Montana now. 

Fall in Montana

It's cold here in Montana.  The leaves are already falling off the trees.  It's beautiful, but I wanted to get a few more trips with the RV.  Anyone been to Hot Springs in Montana?

Adult Scholar Phase Reading Group

I've started a TJED 5 Pillar Adult Reading Group.  We started with the Chosen by Chaim Potok.  It was a fantastic read.  The most important thought that has impacted me and keeps coming to mind is when Reuven's father says this, "If a person has a contribution to make, he must make it in public.  If learning is not made public it is a waste".  It is of necessity that all of us to share the knowledge we have, otherwise it will die with us, not having inspired a single soul beyond our own.  Share it!

Field Trip

As a family we travelled to Hiawatha Trail on the Idaho-Montana border. Great place to go if you like to ride bikes. The trail in around 17 miles long, but all downhill. We went through many pitch black tunnels and over many train trusses. We learned a lot about enduring to the end--even when it's tough.

Daughters of Royalty

On Friday, we have Daughters of Royalty which is designed for my 10, almost 11 year old daughter. In our small town we have managed to get 10 girls for the group. There are very few familiar with TJED here in our small Montana town, but after living here a year it was time to dig in and get started. I posted the group, we meet twice a month for three hours. We are reading, The Hundred Dresses, the Wizard of Oz and The Little Princess. In addition to that the girls are all working on Adult Skills with their parents. We also have a field trip planned to the local hisotrical mansion where the girls will do their "Scullery Maid Service Project" and get to eat lunch at the mansion dining table. We also are having some artist friends over and they are going to share their love of painting with the girls.

Adult Skills Cooking Class

Today we did our adult skills Cooking Class. My daughters will all need this skill. We use a great book by Emeril Lagasse called There's a Chef in my Soup. It's wonderfully divided into categories. The recipes are serious enough, but fun for the girls to learn how to cook. Today they made BBQ chicken wraps. They turned out great and both girls learned how to make BBQ sauce from scratch. I didn't know how to do that until I was married for a couple of years! The cooking class naturally then funnels into the Shopping Class, where the girls learn how to grocery shop. Each week I choose a recipe from the book and we spend sometime on Thursdays making a recipe while I watch and mentor. My oldest is ten and I would like to have her through many of the adult skills before she starts---SCHOLAR PHASE!!