“So out of the ground the LORD God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air and brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name” (Genesis 2:19, NRSV).

“Train children in the way they should go; when they grow old, they won’t depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6, CEB).
 
     I spoke with a parent yesterday who minutes earlier left the kindergarten classroom after dropping her daughter off to school for the first time. Her tears reflected both the pain and pride she felt as her child took this major step toward independence. The emotionally charged transition denotes a season of hope combined with a deep sense of loss.