Mina's Musings

Last month I was invited to the White House for a Christmas Reception through a friend who has worked on White house staff for the past 8 years. Marie is a slight but plucky package of directed energy. She overshoots my understanding of politics but has graciously pursued a relationship with our family after her introduction through our eldest daughter, Jonalyn. Washington DC is cold and seemingly aloof but with Marie- it is richly accessible! We toured the Congressional Dome, the Library of Congress, (I got my card and spent a morning in Rare books among volumes of delicately illustrated books form the 1400's!) and the Supreme Court. At the last minute I changed my flight home, so I could accept Marie's invitation to attend the staff party. Since I had not brought anything suitable to wear I did some focused hunting at the mall and shot myself a smart red coat. The night of the party we hailed a cab, and clamored in like children pressing towards Christmas. I was told

Jessica, when you were little you used to love activity. It was really hard for me to get you sitting down and listen to a story. As you grew that seemed to calm down a little bit but not very much. You are still the girl I knew then. Being 19 is exciting and launching and hopeful. It is a lovely age at which you stretch to find yourself. When Daddy and I went to Cairo, he gave a talk on preparing for marriage to those who were young (about 19-29) and single. I loved what he had to say and am so thankful that he took his own advice when we were young. He had a relationship with a Christian girl who was a beauty. She was tall and thin and beautiful of face...much more of his match physically than I. His heart did not have the wisdom to see beyond these and so he got involved in a close and unhealthy relationship with her. You know that daddy often gets what he pursues. That is kind of a Taylor trait. Well thank God he stopped Daddy short and to make a loooong story shorter, daddy began