140 years since the date of birth of Russian Empress140

Alexandra Feodorovna Romanova.

Russians must open their hearts to the great Miracle. If you are able to master this Heavenly Gift, this mysterious Flower of mountain heights, if we will open and breath in the sweetest aroma of the Chosen’s soul, chosen from infancy, which gave Russia many miracles, which gave us the princesses of the Great Redemption, and the heir, Alexei Nikolayevich – we will become invincible to all the evil on earth. And spiritually we’ll grow stronger as ever. Go ahead and it will open to you!

THE PRECIOUS EDELWEISS OF ALPS

«The Notes about Family Life»

1899. Tsarskoye Selo. Alexandra Feodorovna is just 27 years old. She graduated from Oxford University with a Ph.D. in Philosophy. She is a professional pianist, artist, and singer. She is fond of needlework, a master of embroidery and sewing. But the main talent, no doubt, is the ability to understand human love and compassion. She has been married for 5 years now to Emperor Nicholas II and they have 3 daughters.

The duty of the family is to have selfless love for everything. Everyone should put aside their ego and devote himself to another. Everyone should blame themselves, and not another, when something is wrong. All of it requires endurance and patience, impatience can also spoil everything. A harsh word can strain a soul fusion for months. Even the strongest love is in need of strengthening it on a daily basis. Most of all, it is the rudeness in this house, especially to those we love, that is unforgivable.

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There is nothing stronger than the feeling that comes to us when we hold our children in our arms. Their helplessness affects our heart’s noblest strings. For us, their innocence is the cleansing power. When there is a newborn in the house the marriage itself born anew. A child brings a married couple as close to each other as never before. In silent hearts the strings that never sang before now come to life. The young parents now facing new goals, new desires. Life just gets a new and deeper meaning. In their hands lies the holy burden, the immortal life that they want to keep, and it gives parents a sense of responsibility, makes them think. “I am” is no longer the center of the universe. They have a new goal for which to live, the goal that is big enough to fill all their lives.

Of course with children comes the weight of responsibility and troubles, and so there are people who look at the appearance of children, as misfortune. But only cold hearted selfish person would look at a child this way. What a great thing – to take responsibility for this tender young life that can enrich the world with beauty, joy and strength, but are also can be easily damaged; a great deal to nurture them, build their character – that's what you need to think about when you are making your home. It should be a home where children will grow up to a true and noble life, for God.

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None of the treasures of the world can replace a man those sacred treasures he longs for-his own children. Something God gives often, but in some cases just once. Seasons come and go, new flowers are blooming once again, but youth will never come twice. Only once we are given the childhood with all its possibilities. Do everything that’s in your power to ornate it and do it quickly.

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The main center of the man’s life is his home. This is a place where children grow: grow physically, strengthen their health and absorb everything that will make them true and noble men and women. In the house, where there are children, all of their surroundings and everything that happens affects them, and even the smallest detail can have a great or harmful effects. Even the nature around them forms their character of the future. All the beautiful things that see children's eyes, is imprinted in their sensitive hearts. Wherever the child is raised his surroundings are imprinted on his character. Our children rooms where they will sleep, play, live, we must decorate as beautiful, as resources permit. Kids love the paintings, and if the paintings in the house are clean and nice, it will influence them, make them subtle. But the house itself being clean, tastefully designed, with simple decorations and with a nice view of its surroundings, has an invaluable impact on the education of children.

It is a great art - living together, loving each other tenderly. It must begin with the parents. Each house is similar to its creators. Subtle nature makes the house sophisticated, rude, insensitive nature would create an unlivable, cold place.

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Parents should be what they want their children to be - not just in words but in deeds. They should teach their children by the example of their own life.

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Another important element of family life - a relationship of love for each other, not simply love, but the love that is cultivated in the daily life of the family, the expression of love in all the words and deeds. Tenderness and courtesy in the house should not be formal but sincere and natural. Joy and happiness are needed for children no less than the plants need the sunlight. The richest legacy that a parent can give to a child is a happy childhood with tender memories of his father and mother. It will highlight the days to come, will keep them from temptation and help in the harsh everyday life, when children leave the parental home.

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Oh, May God help every mother to understand the greatness and glory of her coming work, while she keeps the baby at her breast, which she needed to nurse and nurture. When it comes to children, the parents' duty is to prepare them for life, for anything that God will grant them.

Be loyal. With reverence accept this sacred burden. The strongest bonds are bonds that connect man’s heart to his home. In a true home even a baby has its own voice. And the appearance of an infant affects the entire family structure. The house, no matter how modest it is or small, should be the most treasured place on Earth. It should be filled with such love, such joy that no matter to what ends a man would travel, how many years have passed, his heart would still be with his home. In all the trials and tribulations our home will remain a refuge to our soul.                            

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Willpower is the basis of courage, but courage can only grow into a true manhood, when the will yields; and higher the will yields the stronger is the manifestations of masculinity. There is no more suitable act for a man when he himself, in his prime, as a small child, lovingly tends to his ailing parent, giving him honor and respect.

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While parents are living, the child will always stay the child and parents must be met with love and respect. Children’s love for their parents is expressed in full confidence in them. For a true mother everything that interests her child is important to her. She is also willing to listen about his adventures, joys, disappointments, achievements, plans and fantasies, as other people listen to some romantic novel.

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Children must learn self-denial. They cannot have everything they want. They must learn to abandon their own desires for the sake of others. They should also learn to be careful. Carefree people are always causing harm and pain, not intentionally, but simply due to negligence. You don’t need much to show concern. The word of encouragement when someone is in trouble, a little tenderness when the other is sad, in time to help someone who is tired will do miracles. Children should learn to benefit the parents and each other. They can do this without requiring too much attention, without causing other worries and anxiety. Once they grow up a little, children should learn to rely on themselves, learn to do things without the help of others in order to become strong and independent.

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Parents are sometimes guilty of excessive anxiety or unintelligent and constantly irritating admonitions, but the sons and daughters have to agree that the basis of all this excessive care is a deep concern for them.

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A noble life, strong, honest, serious, godly character - this is the best reward for the parents and for the tedious years of selfless love. Let the children live in such a way that the parents in their old age could be proud of them. Let the kids fill them with tenderness and affection during extinction.

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Between brothers and sisters there should be strong and warm friendship. In our hearts and our lives, we must protect and nurture all the beautiful, true and holy. In order for our friendships to be deep, sincere and cordial parents must form them, helping the souls move closer to one another. There is no friendship in the world cleaner, richer and more fruitful than the one in the family, if only to direct the development of this friendship. A young people should be more polite with his sister than with any other young woman in the world, and to the young woman until she has no husband, her brother should be considered the closest person in the world for her. They should be in this world to protect each other from danger and deception, and disastrous ways.

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For every young man's life is particularly difficult. When it comes to it, he needs the support of all who loves him. He needs prayer and help of all his friends. Because of the lack of loving support, many young people are losing the battles in life, and those who come out the winners are often the ones who are nurtured by love and tender hearts, which gave strength and courage to fight. In this world it is impossible to know the true value of true friendship.

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Each sister can devote such a strong influence on her brother, which would lead him, like the finger of God, according to the true life road. In your own home, by your own example show them all the sublime beauty of the true and noble womanhood. Striving for anything delicate, pure, holy by the divine ideal woman, be the embodiment of virtue and make a virtue for all to be so attractive that any diversion from purity will cause only disgust. Let them see in you a clean heart, generosity of spirit, a divine holiness, so that your lights are always guarded by them, wherever they went, like a protective shell, or as an angel, hovering over their heads in perpetual blessing. Let every woman with the help of God strive for perfection. When your brother will be tempted, then before the eyes of any such vision of love and purity, he turns away in disgust from the temptress. A woman for him - the object or respect, or contempt, and it depends on what he sees in his sister's soul. So a sister should try to win the love and respect of her brother. There are no greater harm she could do if to inspire the idea that all women are heartless and careless, eager only for pleasure and want to be admired. And the brothers, in turn, should be protective of their sisters.

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The attitude toward women - is the best way to check the nobility of man. Every woman should be treated with respect, no matter if she is rich or poor, or how high or low her social status is, and should be shown all sorts of signs of respect. A brother must protect his sister from any harm and undue influence. It should be for her to behave impeccably, be generous, truthful, unselfish and loving God. Anyone who has a sister must cherish and love her. The power which she possesses is the power of true womanhood, which conquers the purity of the soul, and strength of her softness.

The Empress Alexandra Feyodorovna Romanova

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Clean thoughts and the purity of the soul - that's what really ennobles.

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Without purity is impossible to imagine the true femininity. May we keep this holy purity if the world around us has sunk in sin and vice. "I saw a lily floating in the black swamp water. Everything around was rotten, but the lily remained as pure as angels' garments. In the dark pond, ripples spread; shaking the lily, but not a spot appeared on her. “So even in this immoral world a young woman can save her soul unsullied, radiating holy, unselfish love. The heart of a young man should rejoice, if he has a beautiful, noble sister, trusting him and regarding him as her protector, advisor and friend. A sister should be happy if her brother has become a strong man, able to protect her from life's storms. Between brother and sister should be a deep, strong and close friendship, and they must trust each other. Suppose there are seas and continents between them, their love will always stay faithful, strong and true. Life is too short to spend it fighting and quarreling, especially in the holy family.

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Hard work, difficulties, worries, self-sacrifice, and even grief loses its sharpness, gloom and austerity, when they are softened by a tender love, just like the cold, bare, jagged cliffs are beautiful, when the wild vines entwine them with their garlands of green and tender flowers that fill all the cavities and cracks.

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In each house there are the tests of patience, but in a true home there is peace, which is not disturbed by the earthly storms. Home is a place of warmth and tenderness. We must speak in the house with love.

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In such a home only to the beauty and softness of the character is being raised. One of the misfortunes of our time is that the quiet family evenings are displaced by business and entertainment, rotating in the community.

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Every great thing that comes child’ mind strengthens and ennobles his character. Our bodies, against our will, grow old, but why do our souls remain forever young? It is a crime to suppress the joy of childhood and cause children to be gloomy and critical. All the life’s problems will very soon fall on their shoulders. Very soon life will bring them the anxiety and worries, and difficulties and the burden of responsibility. So let them remain as long as possible, young and carefree. Their childhood should be filled with joy, fun and games. Parents should not feel ashamed to act up and play with their children. Maybe its while they do it that they are closest to God than when they are doing their most important in their opinion work. The childhood songs are also never forgotten. Memories of them are laying under the weight of the years, as the delicate flowers lay under the winter’s snow.

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Sooner or later, in each home, comes the bitter experience: the experience of suffering. There may be years of cloudless happiness, but surely there will be sorrow. The thread that ran for so long, like a merry brook that keeps running in bright sunlight through a meadow of flowers, deeper, darker, dives into the dark valley and rushes down a waterfall.

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Nobody knows what happens in the sacrament of holy infant, who has just an hour to live destined to him on this earth. He does not live it in vain. In that hour he may leave a deeper impression than any other that will last a lifetime. Many children dying bring their parents to the sacred footsteps of Christ. There is a grief that hurts more than death. But the love of God can turn any trial into a blessing.

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And this how it runs in true home life, sometimes in bright sunshine, sometimes in the dark. But in light or in darkness, it teaches us to always refer to heaven as much as to the Home, which translates all our hopes and dreams, which join once again torn earth bonds. In all that we have and what we do, we need the blessing of God. No one but God will support us in a time of great sorrow. Life is so fragile that any separation can be eternal. We can never be sure that we will have the opportunity to ask forgiveness for the evil things and be forgiven. Our love for each other may be sincere and deep on sunny days, but it can never be as strong as in the days of suffering and sorrow; when all its hidden treasure is revealed. Published in the Journal of «Russkiy Mir» № 4 for 2001.

The Face of Poetry,

only She could be a true Mother

to the Princesses and Prince Alexei.

The Spiritual Heart of Russia –

in Her thoughtful and gentle hands

Oh, Our Mother,

the most beautiful of all Queens ever,

and Heaven’s Mother of Russia,

please, forgive us!

LUCH 2012