I have a son in his first year of college. He’s a math major with a minor in physics. Before you ask, the answer is no. Of course, he did NOT get the math/physics brain cells from my end of the gene pool. There are no numbers in my head. Just letters.

I’ve heard parents often say that their teens speak a different language. I just never expected that it would be the language of math. I’m speaking to my teens using letters, words, sentences, paragraphs. Jordan uses math speak. He’s speaking in numbers, sums, equations, and other theorem-type words in arithma-language that I totally don’t get. I saw one of his books the other day and it was covered with symbols and all kinds of Greek code. I opened it up and found strange signs and symbols that just had to be extra-terrestrial. In a few places–and I’m sorry about this–but with all the weird symbols, it looked like someone was trying to cover profanity with math. Is there such a thing as math cussing?

It occurred to me that maybe the symbols were just for decoration. Then again, if it was decorative, it certainly wasn’t my style. Of course, parents aren’t really known for style. Isn’t there a formula for that? Parents R Squared?

But while it’s an alien décor to me, Jordan loves the math style. I guess number-beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Our own true beauty is in the eye of the Beholder, too. Did you know that Jesus thinks you’re beautiful? He loves you–and the love of Christ is ever and always in style. In math speak: If X equals LOVE, then JESUS “X’s” us times infinity. To the greatest power! 1 John 3:1 says, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (NKJV).

He loves us so much that he devised a plan to make us his children for eternity. That’s love! How marvelous is it that he loves us in every language! As a matter of fact, if there really were extraterrestrial hieroglyphs, I have no doubt Jesus would write his love in those too.

Even when Jordan and I aren’t speaking the same language, I’m confident he knows how treasured he is to me. He is my son and I love him with all my heart. It boggles my mind (even without numbers) when I consider the fact that my huge love for Jordan is but a fraction of the Father’s love for all of us.

Hey, did I say “fraction”? Maybe I can speak math!

Rhonda Rhea rrhea@juno.com