The Highlight of My Day

This morning Christine left with the Elliotts for the cosmopolitan metropolis that is Rochester, NY. She hitched a ride with them for the sake of a visit with her family, and I rejoice to know that she is in their company doing something other than picking up the classroom closet for the tenth time today.
But I miss her terribly.
It's been a reasonably good day, though. We got some schoolwork done, we observed the First Day of Spring tradition of eating freezy pops outside and doritos inside (it was a very cold day here), and I got some church work done. The girls had a wonderful time at the Wood's while I went to work at the school this afternoon. And the house isn't any cleaner than it was when Christine departed this morning, but it isn't much dirtier either.
But the highlight of my day came a few minutes ago as I was tucking the girls in for the night. Elisabeth was reading a book on earthquakes and looked up earnestly to tell me that the book claimed that all of the continents were, at one time, part of the same large continent.
"Yes, pangaea," I said, because I am a horrible show-off.
"What do you think," she asked, "is that how it happened?"
I answered carefully and thoughtfully, aware that the question had some implications regarding creationism and also aware that I am pretty ignorant.
After giving what was far too long and specific of an answer I turned it back on her and asked her what she thought.
Without hesitation she replied "You are asking a ten year old."
And that was the highlight of my day.
Our culture tries very hard to make all of its children think and act as though they are the boy Jesus in the temple, provoking the wondering admiration of the learned.
I am proud to have a daughter who knows that at ten years old her opinion on plate tectonics is of little value.
She, like Chesterton's angels, is free to fly because she takes herself so lightly.