Hopes for the future
Letter to the Editor

By TBO.COM | Staff
Published: January 24, 2012

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As a recently retired educator reared in the Greek Orthodox faith, I read with particular interest Michelle Bearden's excellent column on Tarpon Springs' dive for the cross on Epiphany this year ("Diving into Epiphany fallout," Baylife & Travel, Jan. 22). She relates that the priest was left "very sad" by the behavior of the young divers.

I've observed teens in and out of the classroom since 1967. All conscientious clergy work to help develop the "greater sense of meaning and purpose in what they are doing" spiritually; teachers strive to develop those characteristics academically. I feel it is parents who hold the all-important key to meaningful and purposeful futures. The heartfelt declaration of Alexi Lake's parents is that "all the man-made attention doesn't matter" in their son being blessed. I beg to differ. With humans like them for parents and Father Stavros for a spiritual adviser, Alexi has fine hopes for the future no matter what.

Esther Sarris Rupp

Seffner