The times, they are a-changing

A welcome letter to Sailor Grace

The only constant is change, as they say. But even by the standards of that old moniker, the 21st century has been a bit chaotic. We live on the edge of an era — the last death rattle of the modern age. The socio-economic machine created at the dawn of industrialism is fighting to survive in a world that is literally running out of the fuel it needs to run. The harsh moral dichotomies which governed my parents and grandparents world have fallen away, to be replaced by the choose-your-own adventure code of post-modernism. The sun has set on the supremacy of the West. The velocity of change grows daily and shows no sign of slowing down — even my own job did not exist 8 years ago, I cannot imagine how future hands will earn their daily bread. There is one skill that the future generation will need to ride out the remainder of the 21st century: the ability to adapt to change.

And it is into this world that a child is born, unto us that a daughter is given. And her name is Sailor, and that is a very important name.

A good sailor keeps their head amongst the high seas. A good sailor takes the forces of wind and tide, forces over which they have no control, and channels them into forward progress. A good sailor is adaptable and brave. A good sailor finds freedom in the open ocean.

It is our hope, precious Sailor, that you would be a person who adapts quickly to change, as you bravely set a course through our experience and out into the unknown. Though the winds may vary and the seas grow wild, you would with cunning and courage set your sail to the better path and find the joy, the peace and the nobility of a life well lived.

To be a good sailor, you will need a few things.
First, a good sailor needs a good ship. You will sail many vessels in your life Sailor. But for now, as you leave the harbour and venture tentatively into the shallows, your mother and I promise, as much as is in our power, to provide you with a ship of unconditional love, grace, and provision. What is ours is yours. And as the time comes, we will help you choose and eventually build your own ship, suited perfectly for your own course.

Secondly, a good sailor needs a star by which to navigate. I do not know by which fixed mark you will steer your life Sailor, but know this: there is a God, and he smiles upon you. If ever you lose your way, or when the winds and seas grow high across the bow of your vessel, look up for that unchanging star. It is a mystery to me, but He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Lastly, a good sailor needs the freedom of the open ocean. Your life is yours to be lived Sailor. Though for a time you will sail within the shallows of your mom and dad, our hope is that you would yearn for the sea, to explore, to discover, and to go further and faster than we have ever gone.

Welcome to the world Sailor Grace Bouwer. It’s so good to have you.