Written by Jamie Martin, editor of Simple Homeschool and writer at Steady Mom
Dear Trishna, Jonathan, and Elijah:
I’ve watched the school bus go by for years now–sometimes with envy, longing for a bit of extra “me” time and a bit less responsibility.
Lately, though, I watch it through the early morning fog–with a deep sense of rejoicing.
You mean, we get to do this…together? The learning, the living, the loving–all of it?
It’s almost too good to be true.
Trishna
My girl, age 9
You spend your inspired work time each day writing and illustrating books, always the same characters. You read with such expertise now–a book in hand or nearby often.
You learned to tell time recently, combining your newfound confidence in counting by fives with the bedside clock your dad and I gave you for your last birthday. The rest of math doesn’t come quite so naturally yet, but never fear.
There are more important lessons to learn right now–your four years spent in an orphanage have gifted us with perspective. We know what really matters. You’ve started learning, much later than most, the basics of love and family. We step forward and back again in this dance of knowing (and trusting) each other. I don’t have to tell you that I often have no clue what I’m doing, but that’s okay.
The important thing is that we are doing it–together.
Jonathan
My Jonathan, age 8
I see myself so strongly in you, little yet-wanting-to-be-big one. You astound me with your confidence, your compassion, your loyalty. You’re a visionary in the body of an eight-year-old boy, and that’s hard sometimes, but it’s mostly beautiful.
You have grown in maturity lately, and are desperate for responsibility. I’m reminded again how you live up to your name, “God’s gift,” as I watch you grab the vacuum and clean without being asked. You have a voracious appetite–for food, for knowledge, for books, for life.
Often I don’t know how to answer all your questions or how to nurture your many ideas. You’re used to me saying, “I’m not sure, but I’ll think and pray about it.” And though it’s tough to keep up with you, I’m thankful that you have all these hours to come up with ideas…this time to dream.
So thankful that we get to do live our dreams–together.
Elijah
My Elijah, age 7
You’re on the cusp of reading now, and I watch as you slowly string sounds and words together. It’s painful at times, for both of us, but we praise and high-five over your progress.
You are all boy–physical, strong, energetic–and have just recently become interested in sitting down to focus. Your new passion for all things airplane motivates you to pore over books, pictures, and facts. It’s fun to have a front-row seat at this transformation.
I love that you’ve been able to choose–that you haven’t been rushed, you haven’t been labelled. The thought of attempting to teach you all you need to learn is scary, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
We’re traveling life’s bumpy roads–together.
I see all three of you from the kitchen window now, climbing the grassy hill behind the house. All of you trying to sit on the tiny tree swing at once–always together, for better or for worse.
I’m amazed at this unfolding path God has us on, wonder what He thinks as He sees the eclectic group we make as a family. Nothing but faith in the impossible could have launched us on this educational path.
But the thing you’ve already realized, sweet children of mine, is that your mother is an impossible-believing optimist.
And in spite of the challenges, the fears, and the messes, my heart beats proudly about the rightness of who we are…the rightness of the ways in which we live and learn–together.
You are loved, wanted, appreciated, and cherished–forever.
Love, Mommy
How has homeschooling brought your family together?
This post originally published on September 17, 2012.
Beautiful.
Agree. Makes me want to write a letter for my kids highlighting how special they each are at this exact moment.
Hi Jamie, I don’t know how I started to read your post since I’m (actually) in the middle of preparing tomorrow’s day but had to stop and write you that: You have three so precious kids !! Loved reading a bit about each of them.
How did homeschooling bring us together? I see it as our quality time since we sit together, learn, and as you wrote we do this together !! It’s a blessing having so much time with our children that are growing up way to fast..
may God bless and protect your family,
Myriam
Thank you so much, Myriam!
So beautiful. 🙂
I love that I get to spend each day with our children learning and loving and living at our own pace. It’s this constancy that brings us together. We are moving at the moment, mostly to enrich our lives by being part of a thriving homeschool community (which doesn’t exist where we currently are) and I am so glad to be making this choice and excited about exploring our new area together! 🙂
Lovely post. x
Absolutely beautiful. And just what I need to hear on the days when I want a little more alone time! I really do love doing all this together!
Exactly, Johanna–I think we all need so many reminders of this–especially on those days when that school bus looks a little more appealing! 😉
I love this family!!! xo
We love you, too!
I feel the same way about homeschooling. Though where we live, even if my kids were in school, they would not ride the bus. My husband drove a bus route as a favor for a week, and he said that it was one of the worst experiences of his life.
That being said, there are so many positives to being a homeschooling family that I don’t know where to begin. But what you say about watching your kids just be good friends – I don’t know that this happens in the same way for siblings who are in school. That’s not to say that all homeschooled siblings are best buddies for life, or that siblings who are schooled are not good friends. But the level of shared life experiences are different. They know each other in ways that they wouldn’t – they have TIME, something that it seems many schooled kids don’t these days.
My boys are upstairs right now – organizing their room, together. Because they can. Because they are here on this GORGEOUS fall morning at their home together. Unhurried. Unstressed. Being boys, being brothers.
You’ve inspired me to sit down for a few minutes today and write a letter to my kids about our own homeschooling journey, which began early last school year. I can’t think of a better way to start a new “school” year than by telling them how much I love this new path we’re on, how much I love spending my days with them, and how much I rejoice at being a witness to and mentor in their learning and growth.
Thanks for your thoughtful posts. I am always inspired and uplifted by what you have to say!
That’s a lovely idea, Catherine. It could be a yearly tradition!
That was beautiful. You have beautiful children too.
Even through the fights and foot-stomping and dishes piling up and moments of boredom, I am also glad that we get to do this together…
Wow this is inspirational 🙂 I love the word “together” – it really encompasses the wonderful foundation of home education.
Home schooling has brought our family together as we get to be a family when my husband has the day off, or when he wants to take one of them to work to teach them about what he does, or when we want to vacation outside the normal “season” etc. It’s beautiful to get to see all the lit up faces as they learn and for them to see my clueless faces as I learn with them. 🙂
lw
This is wonderful! It inspires me to write my own letter! I love the photos of your beautiful family. Thanks so much for sharing!
I so love reading your posts! They most often seem to be just what I need to hear (thankyou God) Im a mamma to 4 boys 7, 5, 3, and 1
Its a wild and crazy life, beautiful in all the noise and mess. I have been struggling with the labels, “Homeschool” “unschool” “intrest led” “child directed” just to name a few… I know we dont fit neatly into any box, what I love is learning beside my boys watching their excitment grow and their lights come on. How do you silence the noise and just be? Not striving, pushing but trusting? I would love to hear.
I think this is a daily choice and decision to make. Labels can make you crazy, so don’t worry about them! We homeschool to step away from labels, but it’s funny how we so easily gravitate toward them ourselves, isn’t it? And like any habit, the more often we practice trusting, not pushing, the easier it gets. Best of luck to you and yours, Amanda!
Yes, this: ” the more often we practice trusting, not pushing, the easier it gets.”
🙂
Such a beautiful and encouraging post. Thanks for the glimpse into your family’s togetherness.
I love this! Very encouraging!
How beautiful are your children and your special relationship with them. I love the celebration of each of them. The joy of spending hours and hours together with our children is that we can see how awesome they are… it really is the difference between snapshots and the whole movie…
gorgeous post. how sweet to be able to look back at this exact moment at life together!
Reading this brings tears to my eyes. I had 3 babies in 3 years and my oldest is almost 6. I brought her home from school a month ago and pulled my middle child out of kindy (preschool equivalent here in nz) and we too are doing this together. I watch them play together – they truly are friends again. It is such a blessing to know my precious children are not being pushed, they are learning and living at their own pace without all the pressures they were under before. It makes my heart sing!
I am so thankful to have come across this blog. This piece is so beautiful and perfectly articulate. I couldn’t have read it at a more critical time. Simply Beautiful… thank you for sharing.
This post is beautiful – inspired and inspiring. Thank you for the gift of perspective. Sometimes in the moments of wrangling an active three year-old who dropped her four-hour nap overnight last week while simultaneously attempting to teach about illuminated manuscripts to my nine year-old, I can call into question whether or not I’m doing right by both of my girls.
What perspective you gave today. I am so grateful for that.
Thank you, Cari! Perspective is so needed and can be so easy to lose in the heat of a challenging moment.
Jamie, this was so beautiful to read – I bet it felt good to write it, too. In fact, like others have said, I think I’m going to write a letter to my own children after reading yours.
It seems like it would be a good reminder to me, and to them, on those days we are questioning why we do this, that part of homeschooling’s merit as a choice is that we get to do it together.
And that certainly shouldn’t be underestimated!
Best wishes!
Thank you, friend!
What a beautiful family. Thank you for sharing a bit of them with us.
Totally crying in my coffee cup now…
What a beautiful family! Love love LOVE this!
I fell so very grateful and blessed to be gifted this time with my children. To watch them grow, learn and become the beautiful people they are turning out to be. I love being here to see the proverbial “light bulb” turn on above their heads. That’s not to say at times things don’t get overwhelming. But when they do, I know I can look to your articles and get filled with your optimism. Thank you.
I looove this post. This is exactly why I homeschool. Love this as a letter to your kids. 🙂
amazing. Thank you so much! I will be sharing this. 😉