"The Lord has led us..."

I'm contemplating this phrase, which I am seeing a lot of lately, usually in conjunction with joining a certain school...probably because that's where my attention is.

It's odd to see people being led to something that I have been led away from. They say God is leading them toward something and away from the good thing that we once shared. I can't argue with that. I have no idea what God will do with them in their situation.

Heck, I don't know what God's going to do with me in this place I feel stuck in.

And that's the root of my frustration. My values, convictions, and general life situation lead me to say no to things that others feel led towards. But doing that keeps me where I am with no clear answers while others move on to a place of belonging. Am I stuck because I don't have enough faith to consider a different outcome for our family? Or is it because I'm meant to stay where I am?

Lots of things would be easier for me and my family if I sent my kids to school elsewhere. I could get a break. I could volunteer. I could figure out a new career and contribute financially to our family.

But what would the trade offs be? For the first time EVER I actually considered Charter Schools (which people on both sides of the education spectrum have very strong feelings about). 

I'm not interested in a private school that's going to be an elite social club that teaches my kids to be afraid of "The World", requires us to believe exactly the same way they do about the Bible, or sees themselves as a protection against false teachings rather than a mission field. 

I'm not interested in being told what curriculum to use for a hybrid model, driving 45 minutes twice a week, or paying significant amounts of money every month. I don't feel good about using the grant to afford private school for my children.

I'm also not interested in sending my kids to a public school where they have to be there at 7:15, will get lost in a sea of 30 kids, be exposed to all sorts of things they won't be ready for, get labeled as a behavior problem because they can't sit still, and get caught in the politician's culture wars. I'm definitely not interested in getting any calls saying the school is on lock-down because of a threat.

I'm not interested in any school that prioritizes "rigor" over the child and their love of learning. 

I realize I'm picky and that my choosiness limits my options across the board.

Anywhere I send my children there is a culture war waiting to win us over to their side. When did educating kids become such a war zone?

To be clear, I have huge amounts of respect for anyone willing to venture out into that war zone, no matter where they teach. In every situation, public, private, charter, and home school there are dedicated educators doing good work with the people and resources available to them. No situation is perfect, I don't care what you choose.

And despite my own convictions, I am aware that other people consider the same options and come to different conclusions, either because they have to or because they choose to. I am aware that not everyone is in the position I am with the same kids, the same resources, and the same privilege that I have. I don't judge them for their decisions. I just sometimes feel lonely because of mine.

At what point are my values holding me hostage? At what point am I not allowing God to work through an imperfect situation because I refuse to consider that PARTICULAR imperfect situation?

I am well aware of the huge responsibility and privilege that comes with being ABLE to choose. I wish I could feel good about sending my kids to a school with more resources, more people, more kids. More opportunities to be challenged and think and grow. 

I haven't found the option that feels right to me yet. Again, whether that is due to a lack of faith or a lack of leading, I'm not sure. I'm trying to be open to God's leading, even if it looks different than I think it should. I am praying for direction.

But in the absence of a clear answer right now, I'm still waiting and hoping I'm not missing something.

**UPDATE**

I said, "In the absence of a clear answer."

Then I sent a group text to the remaining people in my co-op telling them where the numbers of enrollment were and that it wasn't looking good for our regular routine to continue. They all responded positively and gently and we are meeting to discuss what it could look like going forward. Then the church office e-mailed me and I told them where we were, all but finalizing it.

That felt pretty clear. And I felt peace.

And so, I signed my two oldest up for classes at the Y. This gives them structured time with kids their own age once a week, it gives them diversity, and it's electives so I don't have to worry too much about content. I don't know where we're going, but I know one door is closing and others are opening. That's enough for now.

Back to School

 I always get a little nostalgic around this time of year as I scroll through my friends' various back-to-school posts. Whether they are going back to school as a teacher, or sending their kid off for the first time, or to a new school, or a new grade. I remember the times when I was a part of that season and I was looking forward to a fresh new year with a combination of new and familiar students, new challenges, freshly decorated classrooms, and a solid team of teachers and administrators who had my back (Yes, I know. I had the dream.)

I still have a bit of the excitement as a homeschool mom. There's new curriculum, new subjects, new supplies. And to some extent, new teachers. We are entering our fourth year at the preschool at our church, but now it's just my youngest there. I'm thankful for those teachers and that team that has been there for all three of my children. I'm thankful for the teachers who have taught my children at church, through co-op, and at various camps and VBS events. People who know my kids and have contributed to their growth over the years.

But this year the back to school nostalgia is hitting different. Because while everyone else is going back to a team of people, we're stuck in limbo waiting to see what will happen with our one-day-a-week co-op. My girls have people ready to teach them Science and Social Studies. My son's teachers are dependent on whether or not we add more kids to his class. A possibility that is looking less likely the closer we get to the start of school.

This year, it feels like we're being left behind. Everyone has their groups and we are on our own. 

And yes, I chose to homeschool. I chose not to do a hybrid program. But I wasn't counting on it being so lonely, especially when there are so many homeschooling families in our community. I wasn't counting on having to be the one to decide whether or not our co-op even meets this year based on enrollment of kids in my son's age bracket. Whether to keep it alive for my girls, or kill it because it doesn't have a place for my son.

Not going to lie, I am feeling a little bit abandoned. I'm trying hard to keep resentment at bay, but I've been here before...and while it's not as traumatic as the last time, it is poking at my insecurities in ways the last time didn't.

And yes, it's also true that our situation with the co-op wasn't perfect and even with it I have a lot of questions, uncertainties, and stressors when it comes to educating my children, particularly with my almost-certainly-GT-possibly-but-not-confirmed-ADHD child, and with the prevalent homeschooling culture in general. And maybe this shifting is making way for something that will ultimately be better for our family.

I hope so. But I don't know that. And that's where I'm living right now. 

I know that ultimately, we will be okay. This is not the end of the world. God will work it out. I believe that, truly. I know we have resources and education that not everyone has. I know that many, many people find a way to educate their kids with consideration of more factors than I have going on. There ARE options out there. It may just be a matter of letting go of my own vision and seeing what God can do with it.

Things I do not care about

Arguments about Artificial Intelligence - No, I will not pick a side. Yes, I would be fine if it disappeared. Yes, I also still use it..I also use cellphones and I wish those would disappear. This is the world we live in. We're all doing our best to cope.

Literal, Figurative, or Inspired scripture arguments. Don't care.

I do not care what school your kids go to. 

I do not care if you are Team public, home school, or private school. I make my own choices based on what is right for me and my family and I support you as you do the same.

I do not care whether or not you medicate your ADHD or your children's ADHD.

I DO care that you take responsibility for what's yours

I do not care what books your children read or do not read. I'm interested, but I'm not judging.

I do not care if you say The Pledge of Allegiance or have the 10 Commandments in your room. I have feelings about both, but you do you.

I DO care about the way you speak about teachers, regardless of where they teach.

I do not care what curriculum you use. I care what curriculum I use, but again: you do you.

I do not care if you vaccinate your children. I DO care what you tell other people about vaccinations if you can't back it up with a medical study.

I do not care if you breastfed or used formula, had a medicated or unmedicated birth, are Team hospital, home birth, or birthing center. I DO care that you respect other people's choices and recognize that they have nothing to do with yours.

I do not care if you believe in 7 day literal Creation or the idea that Genesis was written by an ancient biblical author using his own understanding of the world to write about the God he knew.

I do not care if you are "Old Earth" or "New Earth". I have questions if you are "Flat Earth", but mostly I'm just curious about that one...

I do not care that there are inconsistencies in the Bible. I DO care that we acknowledge their existence and leave room for interpretation. I believe there is room for faithful, academic (though limited, because, human) interpretation without throwing out Science or Faith.

I do not care if you say "Word of God" when referring to scripture, or what translation you use.

I do not care if you used TEFA.

I do not care if you did not use TEFA.

I DO have feelings and opinions about the existence of TEFA, but that's another story that I am willing to share if you approach with curiosity and respect, knowing I am not judging you for your choices, and with the expectation that you will not judge me for mine.

I do not care whether you consider yourself "pro life" or "pro choice". I DO care about how you live that out.

I do not care what you think about gender roles, gender identity, LGBTQ+, pronouns, woke/not-woke, whatever. I DO care how you treat people who are different than you and whether you are speaking and acting towards them in the same way you would want them to speak and act towards you.

I do not care if you are for or against immigration, whether you think we should have closed or open borders. The arguments for and against both are so far above my education and pay grade that I'm not going to argue one way or the other.

I DO care about how the people who are already here are treated regardless of their legal status.

I am not interested in culture wars. I refuse to draw a line between "us" and "them", "the church" and "the world", "liberals" and "conservatives" or whatever categories you want to use. We all have something to learn from each other.

It doesn't mean I don't have beliefs and convictions.

It doesn't mean I don't believe in right and wrong.

It doesn't mean I think we should accept every viewpoint.

It doesn't mean I don't have boundaries for myself and my family.

It means I understand we're all doing the best we have with the knowledge, information, circumstances, and resources that we have available to us. I have a responsibility to use what I am given responsibly, and that includes using my listening ears when other people with different life experiences are talking.  Do I live this out perfectly? No. Do I have biases? Definitely! You can look back over my list of "don't cares" and probably pick up on a few of them.

But I am so tired of the landmines around absolutely everything, from groceries to politics. Nothing is safe anymore, and I'm tired of it.

So come to me however you are. I promise to listen to your convictions and do my best to respect them and learn from them. I promise to give you the Most Generous Interpretation. If you are interested in truly understanding my opposite perspective I am happy to share where I am coming from. I do not expect us to agree on everything, but hopefully we can learn to appreciate each other.

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Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

Unpopular Opinion about Voicemails for Isabelle

This is not the most important thing you will read today....I certainly hope not anyway. This is not about the social-political chaos that is our world right now. This is not unfiltered thoughts about motherhood, or middle age, or anything like that. 

This has (probably) no lasting importance for anyone but me, and I'm probably not going to submit my review anywhere but here. So if you're reading this consider yourself part of an exclusive club. You didn't ask for this, but here we are.

I just watched Voicemails for Isabelle and I can't move on until I rant about it. If you loved this movie with your whole heart....I truly apologize for what I am about to do and am giving you fair warning to back out now before I ruin your day with my negative review.

*Takes a deep breath*

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.

.

Did we all watch the same movie? Or did some of us just watch the trailer and make up a movie in our head? Because the movie I was expecting after the trailer was much different than the movie I got.

The trailer portrayed all of the hallmarks of a classic 90s rom-com: The Meet-Cute, the Misunderstanding, the Grand Gesture. This led me to believe I would watch the movie and get the same warm-fuzzy vibes I get every time I watch You've Got Mail. They literally told me in the trailer that that's what they were going for. That is a bold claim. If the movie had fleshed out the trailer a little more and followed the same storytelling pacing I probably would have liked it.

The trailer LIED. Allow me to highlight the MANY glaring differences between the two movies.

Keep in mind that You've Got Mail is one of my all-time favorite movies.

First, the characters:

Kathleen Kelly in You've Got Mail is an independent business owner with a passion for books and storytelling and connections with her community who is a genuinely kind human being. Is she perfect? No. She makes judgments based on her fears and she engages in an emotional affair with an unknown person online while dating someone else. 

But she is likable because of the way she treats other people. She has friends and a community she cares about. She has integrity with herself. Eventually she and her boyfriend come to a place of honesty with each other when they say this isn't working for us but we'll end on friendly terms. Even in her hatred of Joe Fox, when she acts out of alignment with her value system she owns it and repents.

Jill in Voicemails for Isabelle is a struggling assistant chef in the big city with a verbally abusive boss. Why did she move to San Francisco to be a chef? Unclear. She has nobody there, nothing but a dead-end job. Everyone she cares about lives in Texas. 

Her whole character is defined by living for her sister who has Cystic Fibrosis and dies early on in the movie. She is sassy and abrasive for no reason and sleeps with literally any guy she goes on a date with. She is boy-sober for all of 2 seconds before starting a relationship with a guy she just meets and then almost sleeping with him and then flying back to Texas to be his plus one at a wedding. 

She has known this guy for EXACTLY two weeks. Unlike Kathleen...she does not take ownership of any of her crap. She is who she is and you can accept it or not. Which...fine, I guess. And she does some legitimately kind things in the movie, trying to recreate Wes' mother's dish, trying to help her co-worker, entertaining her sister...but it doesn't seem to land as something that is a genuine part of herself so much as she's trying to get something out of it for herself: One night stand, clout at her job, holding onto her relationship with her sister because she needs her. I needed to see these moments of kindness apart from anything else in order for it to be believable.

Joe Fox:

A successful businessman who comes from a family of questionable morals. In spite of that he has somehow managed to acquire some of his own. He intentionally pours into the children of his father and grandfather's flings and makes sure they are loved by at least one stable adult in their lives. He is kind and courteous even to people who are actively hostile towards him.

 He is also not perfect. He has tunnel vision in regards to his business and ends up hurting people as a result. However, when he realizes how his actions have hurt people he takes ownership of his mistakes and works to make amends. While he doesn't tell the whole truth at first in his correspondence with Kathleen, he is very intentional about not saying something that is untrue.

Wes:

A real-estate agent whose mother died. He has a very unhinged girlfriend at the start of the movie. He has nice southern manners, but really that is all we know about him. That and he has a friend who is a semi-cousin because their moms were BFFs. That's it. That's his whole character. 

He gets a new work phone whose number USED to be Isabelle's and he starts receiving voicemails from this random girl living in San Francisco and as a result "falls in love with her" and decides to go find her in San Francisco.

EDIT: Oh wait. We also know that he has a history of asking his work friend to make sketchy technology hacks for his career so...there's also that.

......

The Meet

Wes and Jill meet because he listens to her grief-processing voicemails, learns where her frequent hangouts are, finds her, sits down, starts a conversation and a two week relationship all the time knowing things about her that she hasn't told him and which he has no right to know.

Now...isn't that the same as You've Got Mail?

No, my dear sweet sibling, it is not.

The quality of difference is that Jill is sending voicemails that are basically just streams-of-consciousness to her dead sister Isabelle. Kathleen is sending EMAILS (which she thinks about, writes, and edits) to a specific person. Granted, she doesn't know who that is till the end of the movie. However, she shared the information in a correspondence that she consented to. The things Joe Fox knows, he knows because KATHLEEN TOLD HIM.

Wes is essentially listening to her voice diaries and eves dropping on her grieving process.

Even that wouldn't really bother me as much if his visit to San Francisco was about trying to be a friend to someone and help her through her grieving process because he understands something about grief. If they fell in love as a result of that, cool.

Would it still be questionable if it happened in real life? Yes, but this is a movie. I understand the difference between real life and fantasy, and as long as they make it believable I can suspend disbelief.

But this is not about helping someone through the grieving process. It's about being enamored with her and wanting to be with her from the start. He is in love with an idea.

And then they get together (after two seconds of being "boy sober"). She makes him a dish similar to one his mom made which is apparently an immediate turn-on. He has a crisis of conscience, doesn't sleep with her but spends the night, and invites her to be his plus one at the wedding of his best friend.

There is no reason for them to be this close. Zero. Zilch.

They have not had any real connection over anything. Everything has been surface level. They've had fun, but that's it. It doesn't. make. sense.

The storytelling:

The first half of Voicemails for Isabelle is about Jill's relationship with her sister and how she tried to make her life fun even though she couldn't go out into the world. That was genuinely sweet.

I really felt the emotion when Isabelle died. It was devastating. I thought about texting my sister and telling her not to die...(Every time I watch Little Women, when it gets to the part of Beth dying, I have to text my sister and remind her not to get Scarlet Fever. It annoys her every time, it's fantastic. She's also probably the only person reading this blog post and is already well aware of my deep and abiding hatred for this movie. *waves hi*)

Unfortunately...it didn't carry over to the rest of the movie.

Don't get me wrong, the fact that she misses her sister is obvious by the way she keeps messaging her...but I would have liked to see an actual difference in how she led her life before and after Isabelle. It would have made the loss more poignant throughout the rest of the story.

Jill's string of one night flings were icky and gross to watch and made it impossible to distinguish the difference between those flighty relationships and the new one with Wes. It would have been better if there was one fling with the influencer guy and we had time to sit with that relationship fall out for a while. I needed to see her actually be alone for more than two seconds of the movie and not trying to medicate her loneliness with one night stands. Instead she goes directly from that ghosting to hanging out with Wes who...again, has virtually no character.

He does have a pretty face and gentlemanly manners....but there is nothing else to him. I needed more of his backstory to be shown, not just told, in order for me to care about him.

In You've Got Mail, we have the initial set up SHOWING us who these two characters are, who they care about, and what they care about. Everything that comes after that widens and deepens that understanding. We see them change over the course of the movie. We see them struggle personally and professionally. By the end of the movie we have seen both characters grow.

The emotional pay out is WELL EARNED.

The Big Reveal:

You've Got Mail:

Joe Fox finds out that Kathleen Kelly is his secret pen pal in the middle of the movie and has to reconcile that with the beautiful spirit he's been corresponding with. He has to examine his own character and see how he has contributed to their poor relationship from the start. He holds back from revealing himself first because he knows how much he has already hurt her. Later he holds back because he wants to show her who he really is before he tells her. 

By the time Kathleen Kelly finds out the truth she has a better picture of who Joe Fox is and then has to reconcile that with the fantasy person she's been corresponding with. This whole thing takes place over the course of many months of conversations and interactions...with each other. Back and forth communication. In other words, she has enough information to make an informed decision about what kind of person she's going to be with.

Voicemails for Isabelle:

The big reveal happens by accident (again, after they've known each other less than a month) when Jill calls her sister and Wes' phone rings. Then he has to tell her he's been listening to her voicemails for almost a year. At this point, they've got nothing to fall back on. A revelation like that at this point in their relationship really should earn a RESTRAINING ORDER not a "You lied to me and I can't believe you would do this to me."

The emotional scene was completely unearned, as was every scene of their "relationship development".

The script:

Nora Ephron wrote a beautiful script with whimsical sentences that stay with you and make you feel like you are the ones in the movie. They make you feel the magic of every day things:

"Don't you love New York in the fall? Makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address."

They tell us what the characters are truly passionate about:

"When you read a book as a child, it becomes a part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your whole life does."

They give voice to the vulnerable parts of ourselves that we can't quite voice ourselves:

"Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life - well, valuable, but small - and sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it or because I haven't been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn't it be the other way around? I don't really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. So good night, dear void."

They communicate the character's seriousness about pursuing a relationship:

"If I hadn't been Fox Books and you hadn't been The Shop Around the Corner, and you and I had just, met....I would have asked for your number, and I wouldn't have been able to wait twenty-four hours before calling you and saying, "Hey, how about... oh, how about some coffee or, you know, drinks or dinner or a movie... for as long as we both shall live?" And you and I would have never been at war. And the only thing we'd fight about would be which video to rent on a Saturday night."

 In Voicemails to Isabelle the main attraction seems to be access to people's unfiltered thoughts and as a result the audience has to endure the following lines:

"You know, who needs a midnight kiss when you can smash a taco? Am I right?"

and

"I don’t really have the tools for this. But… you make me feel brave. You make me feel everything. I know that you don’t need a man, Jill. But I sure as hell need you."

(Kisses her while her mouth is full of taco)

"That was good. Really good."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I feel like Meg Ryan."

UUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

At least we have a SMIDGEN of self awareness in the movie with this line:

"This is like some sick reboot of You've Got Mail."

"Tom Hanks is America's Sweetheart---"

"YOU ARE NOT TOM HANKS!"

Finally, something I can agree with. He is not Tom Hanks, she is definitely not Meg Ryan....and calling Voicemails for Isabelle a reboot of You've Got Mail is movie heresy.

Flow of Consciousness....

I want out.

I want out. 

I want out.

Terrified of the moment this all catches up with us and is undeniable by those defending this administration.

Terrified of how many more lives are going to be lost or ruined while we sit back and watch this train wreck.

Holding on to faith and asking what I can do in this moment. It never feels like enough. It never feels like it's going to make a difference. And it might not. But maybe that's not the point. Maybe it's not my job to "make a difference". Maybe it's my job to try. Maybe it's my job to plant seeds without knowing which ones are going to blossom.

Sometimes the trees are bare, but they still provide a home for birds.

Sometimes presence is all we can do. It might not make it better. Maybe it'll make it less bad.

I want a better life for my children. But maybe a better life will not create the children that I want. Maybe we need to do the best we can with what we have. 

I maybe by staying here in the yuck I can make a better life for someone else's children. 

So many other people  engage in the yuck on Facebook and everywhere else. I'm over here crying for peace and struggling to figure out what that looks like. How do we have peace when no one is willing to listen? I cannot make others listen. I can only be a listener. I can hold space. I can hold boundaries. Maybe someone will someday get to the point where they might listen to me? I don't know.

I just know that I'm tired.

I'm tired of waking up to acts of war every day, domestic and foreign.

I'm tired of worrying about my friends in Ukraine.

I'm tired of the mental gymnastics.

I'm tired of always worrying that I'm saying the wrong thing, even if it's the honest thing.

I'm tired of nobody feeling safe.

We could move to another state, another country. That might mean saying good-bye to some family members forever.

What's going to happen to Matthew's job?

Do I go back to work?

I want to support Public Schools, but also I don't want to go anywhere near a public school.

I loved my time in private schools (correction: ONE private school), but I would not return there either.

How sustainable is homeschooling for me? Mentally? Financially? Long term?

Everything feels hard.

Nothing feels easy.

Starting to feel like I've "made it" at church now. I have friends. I have a place. I feel like I belong. How would that change if I were honest about all the things I really think?

Am I ruining my kids? Do I over-worry about James and not enough about Emberleigh and Evelyn? Am I giving them complexes? Am I too involved or not enough involved? Am I giving them the right kind of skills? 

Do other people think I spoil my children or give too much power away?

Most certainly, yes. Doesn't matter. It bothers me. Sometimes it's true. Sometimes it's not. I can not worry about how I look to other people. It's too much of a distraction and it completely disables me from doing what I need to do.

I'm so tired.

I'm 38 and I haven't been to a doctor since my 20s...(not counting natal appointments). I should go to the dentist and the doctor. Technically, we're insured. But starting that mess feels overwhelming. I can barely keep up with stuff for my kids.

Speaking of kids, James has been seeing a play therapist and I'm ready to end appointments because I don't think this particular situation is worth it, but I feel bad because it's a ministry, the girl makes next to nothing and I don't like conflict, so I need to end it but I keep not doing it.

Ending it would free up forty dollars a week. That's my biggest motivation. I realize 40 buck a week is nothing, which is why we're able to do it. But I also don't think it's giving him the skills I'm wanting him to get from it.

To spend money or not to spend money. That's the question about everything in existence. I nearly have a heart attack every time I go to the store and buy five things. 

Birthday parties and Christmas. I really miss the days when other people were in charge of those.

Wanting to initiate friendships. Always overthinking every single interaction and text. Low-key wondering if I'm on the ADHD/Autism spectrum.

Even stupid stuff like gifts. Should I give a gift? Should I not? Will giving this person a small gift because I thought about them make them feel that they have to give me a gift which is not the point?

Someone does something nice for me. Do I reciprocate? What if I can't reciprocate? What if I can't reciprocate in the same way? What if I never do and they feel like they're always giving and I'm never contributing?

I've felt like I was the only one contributing to relationships before. It stunk.

Always talking myself out of things.

Wishbone. Ramona. Reading Rainbow. Mister Rogers. Carmen Sandiago. Ann Rinaldi.

Making up stories with your friends where you were never quite sure where fantasy ended and reality was seeping in.

Grown-ups that taught us to love first. That taught us we were loved no matter what. That showed us unconditional love, no matter what. Youth groups who texted unknown numbers to encourage someone who felt like they might be gay way before that was a commonly accepted thing. Because they never wanted someone to feel unloved. Talking for hours to someone on a landline. Writing letters. Long walks with a grown-up. Trips to the store with your dad because he could tell you needed a change of scenery. Invitations from your neighbor to join you for a movie because she could tell you needed a break from your family. Friends parents who took me to Sing Song, and out to dinner for graduation. Friends of your husband who reach out when you get engaged to tell you they remember your scholarship essays from LTC. Letters and gift baskets from people who know how much you loved your school and how heartbroken you are that it's closing. Communicating through broken English and Ukrainian and non-verbals to people of a different culture. Extended family members and church members who visited you in the hospital when your son went to NICU.

Once when you were still a baby, the fields just grew and grew
We were happy then, remember?
When the world was green in the blue.

Meadows, like a sultan's carpet beneath your baby shoe
They'll be yours again, I promise
When the world grows green in the blue

Stand your ground and work beside me, and Earth will bloom anew
When the mountains fold, and the caged birds fly, and the grass gets greener before our eyes
As the world grows green under clear blue skies
When the world grows green in the blue