Last summer, my friend Jesika from New Zealand planted a beautiful perennial garden for me, with fourteen roses included. Many folks said to me, "Oh, roses are really hard, you always have to fool with them. . ." But Jes said, "No worries, Diana! Just water them and feed them, and they'll do great."
So, that's what we did. We watered them fairly often, usually in the evening with a sprinkler that sprayed the whole garden. One of my roses, the Diana, Princess of Wales rose, was a sickly little plant with two gorgeous blossoms and lots of dead leaves. Most of my other roses dropped a lot of their leaves and looked a little strange. Everything went into slumberland during the winter. Fortunately, I had learned enough to clean up around the roses.
This spring, I went to a rose shop and was tutored in how to prune. It was an older woman and she taught me the old way - prune the roses way down close to the ground. Her husband told me spray them with this organic spray and they would bounce back within 10 days. I did all fourteen roses just like she showed me, sprayed them like he told me, and most of them stayed absolutely leaveless for weeks.
Then, a month ago, I picked up a few rose books and visited the International Rose Garden in Portland. Through the books and the adventure in Portland I learned that one of the worst things to do to a rose in our climate is to get the leaves wet in the evening - it causes blackspot, which makes the leaves die off and hurts the plant. Ah, if only I had known.
Next, I read that the new way to prune roses is much less severe. . . Ah, if only I had known.
But, eventually, my roses began to grow, sprout new stems, cover themselves in leaves and buds. . .
The other day as I was spraying them again with the organic spray, I realized that if I hadn't had such a love for roses and a determination to learn how to care for them, I might have agreed with all the naysayers and just pulled the roses out of the garden and given them to someone else.
"You're right. I tried rose gardening and it didn't work. I just don't have a green thumb like some people I guess."
What a picture this is of the way many of us approach homeschooling. Surrounded by naysayers, people who tell us we're not qualified, it's too hard, it takes experts to teach our child, etc., we might ignore them for a time, but when things don't go well and are children are not thriving in our homeschool environment, we decide our naysayers were right. . . and we give our kids to someone else to teach.
For me, I didn't know ANYTHING about teaching children, but a few friends and a book gave me the confidence that I could jump in and do it. As time went on, I discovered that there were things I was doing that were making my children wilt and their enthusiasm for learning die on the vine.
But, somehow, I was really committed to them and to making it work, so instead of giving up, I read some more books and visited some successful homeschool families. That was when I got the "aha" moment - that there were some basic things I had not understood about kids and learning. I've learned a lot since. . . just like I'm learning a lot about roses.
It's okay if you don't know it all. Start where you are, with lots of love, laughter and good books. Play games, take walks, make playdough, do skits. . . Then read a lot of books on learning, visit some folks whose homeschool kids you admire, ask some questions. . . And keep on going!!!! The blooms on your kids will be worth the wait!!!
I'm so glad I thought to check your blog again today. Happy to see you back. We have missed you at the FPEA conference in Florida for the past couple of years. Any plans to return?
Great rose analogy. I used to have a black thumb with plants but have recently begun to have plants survive under my care. Hopefully my children will all blossom and will not wilt under too much pruning!
Diana~
Roses can be tricky, some varieties are easier than others ;-) I put in a bunch of hybrid roses at my first home, within 2 years the winter had killed them all ;-( Now, I tend towards old roses...they have more fragrance, and you just can't kill them...
a wonderful place to buy them is...
www,weARErises,com
(The antique rose emporium) I am ordering 6 new (old variety) roses from them....have a fence in our new home that is just begging for some roses ;-)
After 10 years of homeschooling I have learned a lot...thanks for the reminder to enjoy the simplicity of our children and the goodness and faithfulness of God leading and directing us in our homeschooling.
http://overthemoonwithjoy.blogspot.com
Kimmie
mama to 6
one homemade and 5 adopted
come visit us, we love new friends
and for the encouragement. Homeschooling is quite a lot like gardening. Some years you get a bumper crop and others are spent replenishing the soil and tending to sickly plants. Great comparison. Blessings to you and yours
I love your analogy! Sometimes I feel like I'm just too dim-witted or stubborn to give up so I just keep going and growing. Praise God, our family (3 sons and one very very dh) is thriving. What an incredible blessing it is to live a life that I never could have dreamt of in younger years, but that has become everything I have always wanted and needed. Thank you for your sharing spirit that continues to fill home educators with confidence!
Blessings,
:)Michelle
Wonderful words, thanks so much for sharing, it's good to see you back on the blog. I suppose we all get frustrated at times, but it is true, staying the course is so important. With all the work you do, it is amazing to me that you can take the time to encourage those of us still working along in the midst of homeschooling. Thank YOU!
Hi Diana.
I missed your posts. Great analogy - thank you for sharing. It's such a blessing to us to hear things God's showing you.
We just got back from the Ala. CHEF coference - my girls really missed you. Your workshop was their first conference experience and they missed hearing you. :)
Thanks!
In His love,
Tina in AL
I love this analogy. It is a beautiful picture of the sweet fragrance we will reap as we cultivate each child's bent in learning and life.
Thank you!
-Jacque
Extremely happily married since 1979, Bill and Diana Waring home schooled their three children for more than twenty years. The Waring kids were the proving grounds for all the precepts, concepts, and encouragements Bill and Diana teach--the real-life examples of the wonders of home schooling! Now, new grandparents and somewhat empty nesters, Bill & Diana travel all over the world to share the joys of loving learning, honoring one another in the family, and enjoying the journey.
• Jun. 7, 2007 - Thank you, Diana