The baron paused, then grew reflective. “As parents concerned for our daughter,” he said, “we struggle frequently with this question. One can never anticipate everything that lies on the horizons of life. It has been our hope and prayer that by providing a serene life for our daughter, as you said to begin with, and by giving her an environment where there is a minimum of conflict, internally, so to speak, that she will be strengthened within herself to face the external conflicts that will come upon her later in life.

“It is exactly how I tend my garden. In a larger way, it is this very foundation upon which the ministry of Lebenshaus is built—by the peacefulness and serenity and harmony of our internal relationships and lifestyle and even this country setting we are blessed with, we are able to offer a retreat and peacefulness to others whom God sends us.

“There have been times we have wondered if we have created an unreal world for Sabina here. Will she be able to deal with life’s stresses and conflicts and heartaches when they overtake her, as they inevitably do everyone? We don’t have the answers to all these questions.”

“Yet this is exactly what we set out to do in the beginning,” said Marion. “We desired to show Sabina what life and relationships were supposed to be like, how they could and should function in an ideal setting, in order to, as my husband has said, give her the roots and strength necessary when later trials come. You come to know the true and the real by being surrounded by it, not by going out into a world where false values and wrong attitudes and shallow relationships are the norm.”

“I have always felt that the way to be strong for battle was not necessarily to be a fighter yourself but to be a person of courage down inside,” added the baron.

“So how long do you intend for the process to last with your Sabina?” asked Thaddeus, after a pause.

“Ah, you’ve put your finger on the most difficult question of all, my friend! Plants and children both must gradually be allowed to grow on their own, by degrees. With children it takes many, many years, steadily allowing more and more of their life to come from their own roots rather than from parental influence. Fertilization of those roots must, of course, continue, and even after twenty years there remains much nurturing to be done. Witness our own two—they have well-established root systems and are growing independently. Yet both are still children in so many ways. They are flourishing—tall and strong and hearty—yet the full maturity of their adulthood has not yet come.”

“It approaches rapidly, however,” said Thaddeus.

The baron sighed. “Adulthood always approaches more rapidly than we think,” he added.

50 Corridors High and Low

50

Corridors High and Low