Below is an article I wrote for my February 2017 newsletter. I looked it up again today because I was thinking about how fast the time goes by and how quickly our kiddos grow up. I hope these reflections encourage someone to cherish their busy days of homeschooling.
Take some special time this month to love on your kiddos and family. I've been homeschooling for 21 years and my first "baby" (26 yo) just drove out of town in a U-Haul, headed for a new job in CA. It seems like just yesterday that I was teaching him to read! I look in the mirror and find proof that over 2 decades have gone by, but in so many ways, the time has flown. And since it is our goal to work ourselves out of a job, our children's success is our success, but it is still bittersweet to see them go. As I watched him drive away in that big truck with his sweet wife, I was so happy for them and glad that I have no regrets about how I spent my time when my kiddos were young. I'm so thankful that I soaked up every moment with them, practically 24/7, and can look back with such a happy heart to those days.
Our time with them, in that role of homeschooling mama, is short, even though some of the days seem so very long! If you are in the season of constantly hearing your name "mommy" called throughout the day, if you are tired of playing referee to bickering little ones, if you feel you never get a full night's sleep, if you feel your house is oh so noisy all the time, if you are weary or find it hard to gather the enthusiasm to tackle another day... do not grow weary in doing good. I promise you that when you look back in the years to come, you will long for a few of these hectic moments that feel like herding cats. I pray you will be able to enjoy the sweet memories of a crazy and blessed homeschooling lifestyle that I would never have traded for the peace and quiet of an empty house while my kiddos were gone to school each day. That is for the next season.
Yes, even though it's hard to imagine, in the next season, when those teens are growing in independence (both physically and emotionally) and blossoming into young adults, or the way next season, when your children are no longer children at all, there will be plenty of time for peace and quiet where you can ponder and treasure these crazy, busy days. : )
One of my favorite songs is The Circle Game by Joni Mitchell. It follows a little boy growing up as the seasons of life go round and round. It is a reminder of how quickly our children grow up and that we can't go back or stop time from marching on, and that life is indeed a series of seasons. While it is not a Christian song, it inspires me to make this day count and appreciate the Lord's goodness and faithfulness in each season of our lives. And as a parent, it is one of my favorites. Watch and listen HERE.
