Sarah came running in. "Look what I found." Over the top of the paper I was reading came a crispy（易碎的） , crumbling long object that caused me to jump. It was a snake skin that had been shed by one of our many garden snakes.
"Isn't it beautiful?" said my wide-eyed seven-year-old.
I stared at the organic wrapper and thought to myself that it really wasn' t that beautiful, but I have learned never to appear nonchalant（冷淡的） or jaded with children. Everything they see for the first time is elementary to their sense of beauty and creativity; they see only merit and excellence in the world until educated otherwise.
"Why does it do this?" Sarah asked.
Robert, ever the innocent comedian, said:"We have a naked snake in our garden!"
I also try to customize every opportunity to teach my children that there is almost always something beyond the obvious; that there is something else going on besides what they see in front of them. "Snakes shed their skin because they need to renew themselves," I explained. As is so often the case in my family, the original subject leads to another and another, until we are discussing something quite different.
"Why do they need to renew themselves?" Sarah asked.
Robert quipped:" 'Cos they don't like who they are and they want to be someone else."
Sarah and I politely ignored her brother. I suddenly remembered an article on this page many years ago where the writer was expressing her concept of renewal. She used layers of paper over a wall to describe how we hide our original selves, and said that by peeling away those layers one by one, we see the underlying original beneath.
"We often need to shed our skins, those coatings and facades that we cover ourselves with," I said to my now absorbed daughter. "We outgrow some things and find other stuff unwanted or unnecessary. This snake no longer needs this skin. It is probably too stiff and crinkly（起皱的） for him, and he probably doesn' t think he looks as smart in it as he once did. Like buying a new suit."
Of course, I' m sure this explanation won' t sit well with bonafide（诚意） naturalists. But Sarah was getting the point. As we talked, I knew that she began to comprehend, albeit slightly, that renewal is part of progress; that we need to take a good look at ourselves, and our rooms and schoolwork and creativity and spirituality, and see what we need to keep and what we need to cast off. I was careful to point out that this is a natural process, not one to be forced.
"Snakes don' t peel off their skin when they feel like it." I explained. " It happens as a natural consequence of their growth."
"I see, Dad," said Sarah and jumped off my lap, grabbed the snakeskin, and ran off.
I hoped she would remember this. That often, in order to find our real selves underneath the layers of community and culture with which we cloak ourselves year after year, we need to start examining these layers. We need to gently peel（剥） some away, as we recognize them to be worthless, unnecessary, or flawed; or at best, store the discarded ones as mementoes（纪念品） of our promotion to a better vitality or spirit.
相关单词：crumbling
crumbling解释：adj.摇摇欲坠的
crumbling例句：
an old house with crumbling plaster and a leaking roof 一所灰泥剥落、屋顶漏水的老房子
The boat was tied up alongside a crumbling limestone jetty. 这条船停泊在一个摇摇欲坠的石灰岩码头边。
相关单词：jaded
jaded解释：adj.精疲力竭的；厌倦的；（因过饱或过多而）腻烦的；迟钝的
jaded例句：
I felt terribly jaded after working all weekend. 整个周末工作之后我感到疲惫不堪。
Here is a dish that will revive jaded palates. 这道菜简直可以恢复迟钝的味觉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
相关单词：excellence
excellence解释：n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德
excellence例句：
His art has reached a high degree of excellence.他的艺术已达到炉火纯青的地步。
My performance is far below excellence.我的表演离优秀还差得远呢。
相关单词：comedian
comedian解释：n.喜剧演员；滑稽演员
comedian例句：
The comedian tickled the crowd with his jokes.喜剧演员的笑话把人们逗乐了。
The comedian enjoyed great popularity during the 30's.那位喜剧演员在三十年代非常走红。
相关单词：renewal
renewal解释：adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来
renewal例句：
Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。
Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。
相关单词：underlying
underlying解释：adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的
underlying例句：
The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。
相关单词：facades
facades解释：n.（房屋的）正面( facade的名词复数 )；假象，外观
facades例句：
Terraces of asphalt are placed by the building's south and west facades. 沥青露台位于建筑的南面和西面。 来自互联网
Preserving historic buildings or keeping only their facades (or fronts) grew common. 保存历史建筑或是保持它们普通的正面增长。 来自互联网
相关单词：outgrow
outgrow解释：vt.长大得使…不再适用；成长得不再要
outgrow例句：
The little girl will outgrow her fear of pet animals.小女孩慢慢长大后就不会在怕宠物了。
Children who walk in their sleep usually outgrow the habit.梦游的孩子通常在长大后这个习惯自然消失。
相关单词：naturalists
naturalists解释：n.博物学家( naturalist的名词复数 )；（文学艺术的）自然主义者
naturalists例句：
Naturalists differ much in determining what characters are of generic value. 自然学者对于不同性状决定生物的属的含义上，各有各的见解。 来自辞典例句
This fact has led naturalists to believe that the Isthmus was formerly open. 使许多自然学者相信这个地蛱在以前原是开通的。 来自辞典例句
相关单词：albeit
albeit解释：conj.即使；纵使；虽然
albeit例句：
Albeit fictional,she seemed to have resolved the problem.虽然是虚构的，但是在她看来好象是解决了问题。
Albeit he has failed twice,he is not discouraged.虽然失败了两次，但他并没有气馁。
相关单词：underneath
underneath解释：adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面
underneath例句：
Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。
相关单词：promotion
promotion解释：n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传
promotion例句：
The teacher conferred with the principal
The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。
相关单词：vitality
vitality解释：n.活力，生命力，效力
vitality例句：
He came back from his holiday bursting with vitality and good health.他度假归来之后，身强体壮，充满活力。
He is an ambitious young man full of enthusiasm and vitality.他是个充满热情与活力的有远大抱负的青年。
