Odyssey – the epic that keeps teaching us about ourselves

When I saw a book [An Odyssey:  A father, a son and an epic] about a father taking his son’s college level seminar on the Odyssey, I was intrigued.  Daniel Mendelson’s story, entwined with the epic itself, takes the opportunity to teach us parts of the classic story while mirroring what he is teaching.  The poem tells you what will happen at the beginning, in the first lines of the poem.  That is also done in this story.  As the circles of the poem are wrapped around us, Mendelson does the same, going back and forth in time, as the epic does.  It is so well done, and even though I know what happens, when I got to the end, I burst into sobs – not just tears.  He had made this epic of his life, his own journey to find his father, that I was caught up with him.  As I take the lessons taught in this book, I am thankful for the truth of knowing my parents.  I had time with them when both my sisters were off at college.  During that time we were able to forge a special relationship, able to build more adult relationships.  I pray that I am able to do the same with my children.  They taught me well.