Celeste's Dialectic Parenting

Infusion of dichotomies prevail throughout One Light. Celeste Kaine, the wealthiest woman in the world, CEO and founder of Kaine is Able global communications, applies George Hegel's dialectical philosophy to cleverly synthesize a particular thesis with it's antithesis. In the dinner scene she applies this tactic to her son KK as they debate ending home-school for a populous high school.

Celeste begins by offer him a carefree life, to not attend school at all, they have plenty of money. She encourages him to quit school, become a roadie to his favorite bands “Live on a yacht, sail oceans, ascend magic mountains and ride your magic carpet…” or “move to the French Riviera during summers, Chamonix, France in the winter. Ski Mount Blanc for the rest of your life."

KK relates to the reader, “In my house going to school, studying hard and making good grades were the only ways I could rebel. Mom didn't see the need for any of it.”

Celeste offers him freedom without restrictions, yet she constantly berates him on grammar, rhetoric. She demands deep thought, and a deliberate dharma (righteous path), without flexibility. In earlier texts KK complains, “Mom never, never, never asked me a rhetorical question. She demanded thought. It didn’t matter if I was wrong or right, it mattered I had to think and conclude. She never relented.”

KK uses a term, “for forever,” to have his mom call him out for it’s redundancy, as she calls out all his inaccuracies and clichés (demanding creative thought). KK replies, “I know, I just like it.” Celeste is fine with his answer, even throws it back at him a few times. It only mattered he knew.

Celeste completes her turn from her prior offering to live free, without rule or worry with her heavy rant about pencils. “Pencils are cowards. They live in fear… They live in uncertainty; they fear their very own words and markings. They have erasers to backtrack what they say…. Pens! Pens audaciously write with brass, stating 'Here I am and I’m not backing down!' Damn, I love pens!"

This message to act with courage and forthright, using pencils as her analogy, is well understood by KK. He later states, "Everything has some kind of meaning for you, doesn't it?”

Much like the snake in garden of Eden, nudging the apple toward Eve, giving her the idea, yet assuring it is her decision to dine, Celeste uses the same tactic with her son. She demands development from him. “Pens take pride in their work, without regret,” without lecturing or castigating him. Her expectations for KK, we later learn, are as high as expectations of God.

In this dialogue, Celeste allow her son to move forward in life, but he must do so with certainty and confidence. “Pens, my son, take pride in their work, without regret.” These expectations doesn’t come from skiing Mt. Blanc for the rest of his life.

Celeste blends KK’s options of free loading with determination to reach the demands she has for her son, all under his freedom of choice. This is the first immersion of twains into One Light that occurs throughout the story.