Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness. You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our needs. You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive, dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen.



Active Topics || Favorites || Member List || Search || About Us || Help || Register || Login
Tea and Conversation
 4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Subject Topic: Swim suits, modesty, again Post ReplyPost New Topic
Author
Message << Prev Topic | Next Topic >>
teachingmyown
Forum All-Star
Forum All-Star
Avatar

Joined: Feb 20 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5128
Posted: April 29 2007 at 7:33pm | IP Logged Quote teachingmyown

Wow, what a great conversation! So glad I started it.

There is so much I want to comment on, but pulling my thoughts together and actually getting them into a post is quite the challenge.

Anyway, Suzanne's comments about talking to my daughter about the "why's" of modesty really made me think. I do think in an effort to continue to shelter, I have not been as forthright about why modesty is so important. I need to find a tactful, gentle way to explain it so she grasps it.


I also like Betsy's comments about "transitioning" into a new view of modesty slowly as we make small changes.

My daughter and I decided on a tank suit with board shorts from LL Bean, perhaps with a rash guard as well. As much as I would prefer the modest suit, I understand the need to find an acceptable middle ground. As she develops more over the next couple of years, and we hopefully establish a good dialog on modesty and her responsibility for her appearance, we can move to an even more modest solution.

Thanks for all the input. I just love coming to y'all with my problems.

__________________
In Christ,
Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
Remembering Today
Back to Top View teachingmyown's Profile Search for other posts by teachingmyown Visit teachingmyown's Homepage
 
Celeste
Forum Pro
Forum Pro
Avatar

Joined: April 03 2006
Location: Nebraska
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 263
Posted: April 29 2007 at 10:20pm | IP Logged Quote Celeste

I meant to post this earlier, but my computer died! Had to get a new one (poor me ).

Pope John Paul (when he was "just" Karol Wojtyla) wrote on modesty in Love and Responsibility in Chapter III, subheading "The Metaphysics of Shame." Near the end of that section. (Page numbers refer to the 1981 Farrar, Straus, Giroux edition.)

Wojtyla points out that while dress is "one of the matters concerning which problems of modesty" frequently arises, it is "difficult for us to go into details or to discuss the nuances of fashion. . . ." Immodesty is "that which frankly contributes to the deliberate displacement of the true value of the person by s*xual values"--in other words, presenting yourself by your dress as a possible means of enjoyment, a thing to be used, rather than a possible "object of love" by reason of "personal value." "The application . . . depends upon the individual, the milieu, the society. . . " (pp. 189-190).

"While we are on the subject of dress and its relevance to the problem of modesty and immodesty it is worth drawing attention to the functional significance of differences in attire. There are certain objective situations in which even total nudity of the body is not immodest, since the proper function of nakedness in this context is not to provoke a reaction to the person as an object for enjoyment, and in just the same way the functions of particular forms of attire may vary. Thus, the body may be partially bared for physical labour, for bathing, or for a medical examination. If then we wish to pass a moral judgement on particular forms of dress we have to start from the particular functions which they serve. When a person uses such a form of dress in accordance with its objective function we cannot claim to see anything immodest in it, even if it involves partial nudity. Whereas the use of such a costume outside its proper context is immodest, and is inevitably felt to be so. For example, there is nothing immodest about the use of a bathing costume at a bathing place, but to wear it in the street or while out for a walk is contrary to the dictates of modesty" (pp. 191f, emphasis mine, for those who skim long posts like this one).

So a swimsuit needs to be judged as a swimsuit, not according to what's appropriate for a shopping excursion or dinner with your pastor. Within THAT context, then, the suit needs to be analyzed. Certain suits that aren't "weird" could still be considered modest if their intent is not flaunting the wearer's s*xuality. Too many suits clearly flaunt, but many retail outlets (Lands' End, Hanna Andersson, CWD, some athletic catalogs) have acceptable options.

Celeste
Back to Top View Celeste's Profile Search for other posts by Celeste
 
teachingmom
Forum All-Star
Forum All-Star
Avatar
Virginia Bluebells

Joined: Feb 16 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2120
Posted: April 30 2007 at 12:27am | IP Logged Quote teachingmom

Amen, Celeste!

We have become a family of competitive swimmers. (OK, it's the girls, not dh or I. ) We spend our entire summer at the pool. My girls typically wear Speedo, one-piece, swim team-type swim suits. Although we have modesty standards that are much more strict than those of most people for our clothing, I have no problem with normal one-piece or tummy-covering tankini swim suits at the pool or beach. As Celeste quotes above, the clothing needs to be taken in context.

I agree with Anne about the normal-yet-modest suits I see on holy Catholic women I know. If you read the modesty threads on this forum, you might get the impression that most really serious Catholic women wear the swimming dresses that cover everything from neck to elbow to knees. Some people feel a very strong calling to do just that, and I admire them for following their conscience in that. But I just thought I'd chime in to say that there are plenty of us who don't feel called to that for the same reasons outlined in the quote from Pope John Paul II above.

__________________
~Irene (Mom to 6 girls, ages 7-19)
Back to Top View teachingmom's Profile Search for other posts by teachingmom
 
mary theresa
Forum All-Star
Forum All-Star
Avatar

Joined: Nov 08 2006
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 766
Posted: April 30 2007 at 11:56am | IP Logged Quote mary theresa

Celeste, that was a great post! I completely agree!

__________________
Mary Theresa
mother to 3 little girls --March '06, Dec '07 and Jan '10
Back to Top View mary theresa's Profile Search for other posts by mary theresa
 
JodieLyn
Forum Moderator
Forum Moderator
Avatar

Joined: Sept 06 2006
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12234
Posted: April 30 2007 at 1:41pm | IP Logged Quote JodieLyn

Thank you Celeste.. that's what I think of when getting suits for my children. My children are also on swim team (think I said that earlier) and so the functionality of it is such that the dress style suits just won't work. I do get them shorts so that they can slip those on when out of the pool.

and as far as having to strip for use the bathroom.

you can grab the edges of one leg and pull it across between your legs and not undress at all.

__________________
Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4

All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
Back to Top View JodieLyn's Profile Search for other posts by JodieLyn
 
Natalia
Forum All-Star
Forum All-Star
Avatar

Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Louisiana
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1343
Posted: May 03 2007 at 9:09am | IP Logged Quote Natalia

I am going to tag my question to this thread because I don't have much time. We had the swimsuit issue come up and I realized that I have not really talked to my dd of the reasons why modesty is important. Do you have a recommendation for a book for her to read and that she and I can discuss? ( I know that modesty have been discussed a lot lately but I don't have the time to wade through those big threads to see if any resources were recommended-if you know please direct me to that thread)

Thanks,

Natalia
Back to Top View Natalia's Profile Search for other posts by Natalia
 
Anne McD
Forum All-Star
Forum All-Star


Joined: Dec 21 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 499
Posted: May 03 2007 at 12:23pm | IP Logged Quote Anne McD

Thank you so much for pointing us to the Holy Father's writings, Celeste! He is so sensible.   

__________________
Anne
Wife to Jon
Mommy to Alex 9
James 8
Katie 6
William 3 1/2
Benedict Joseph 1
and baby on the way! 10/14
Back to Top View Anne McD's Profile Search for other posts by Anne McD
 
Celeste
Forum Pro
Forum Pro
Avatar

Joined: April 03 2006
Location: Nebraska
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 263
Posted: May 03 2007 at 3:58pm | IP Logged Quote Celeste

Natalia,

Maybe you could start with the Catechism's entries on modesty (2521ff), since they describe modesty as a virtue encompassing more than just clothing.

Love and Responsibility ("Metaphysics of Shame") has some of the best information on modesty and chastity I've read. It's definitely not kid reading, but good background for Mom.

Not much, but I hope it's a start!



__________________
Celeste
Mother of five. Daughters.

Perchik: Do you have children?
Tevye: I have five daughters.
P: Five?
T: Daughters.
P: Girls should learn, too. Girls are people!
Student: A radical!
Back to Top View Celeste's Profile Search for other posts by Celeste
 
knowloveserve
Forum All-Star
Forum All-Star
Avatar

Joined: Jan 31 2007
Location: Washington
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 759
Posted: May 03 2007 at 5:52pm | IP Logged Quote knowloveserve

Natalia: try "Secret Keeper" by Dannah Gresh. You can get it on www.omsoul.com

__________________
Ellie
The Bleeding Pelican
Back to Top View knowloveserve's Profile Search for other posts by knowloveserve Visit knowloveserve's Homepage
 

If you wish to post a reply to this topic you must first login
If you are not already registered you must first register

<< Prev Page of 2
  [Add this topic to My Favorites] Post ReplyPost New Topic
Printable version Printable version

Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

Hosting and Support provided by theNetSmith.com