It's all perspective, isn't it?

Have you ever run into a friend whose children are in public school, and they say to you right in front of their child "I can't wait for school to begin!  I can't wait to get these kids out of my hair!"  What message does that give to that child?

I'm a pretty non-confrontational person, unless I really feel I MUST say something.  So I might just stand there looking, thinking "What can I say?" until it's too late.  I'm not so quick on my feet.  Later I may think - "Oh, I should have said this, or that." 

But here's what I'd like to say. 

I can't wait for school to start either.  In fact, we're keeping up with math and penmanship during the summer.  School brings a bit more organization to my life, but I don't feel my children are in my hair.  I just love NOT putting them on the bus every morning.  I love being able to give them hugs whenever I want to.  I love when we're reading a lesson and all of a sudden something is funny and we all crack up laughing.  I love that when it's a beautiful fall day, we can all hop in the car and drive somewhere.

It's true that I don't sew much anymore.  It's also true that my house is messier than I would like.  However, I am mother to a 30 year old daughter and have grandchildren.  I know how very fast these years go.  I know that I'll have time for sewing and a clean house one day, even though I will homeschool for more years than a lot of people who have all their children at once.  I have 22 years between my oldest and youngest, and have another 10 years of homeschooling to go.  Good thing!  I am not ready to stop yet!  I have ideas - plans - visions for the following years.  I will look back on our homeschooling years as the best 30 years of our lives, and we will have a bazillion memories collected.

No, I don't have more patience than the average person.  Maybe I've learned a bit more patience over the years, but doesn't everyone as they age?  And no, every day isn't just wonderful, wonderful in our home.  There are tears and sacrifice, conflicts to be discussed and conquered.  Doesn't anything of value come with a price? 

I just have a different perspective on why I have a family and how I'd like to spend the time with them that I have.  The years go very fast.  On my death bed, I don't think I'd say "I wish I'd sewn more."  Or "Sure wish my house was cleaner."  It's all about the people you love.

Most importantly, I believe that God has put children in families to be raised by parents.  Not in an institution for the majority of their day, to be raised by the state.  Like a mother hen gathers her chicks, I'm so happy to gather mine and love them up, teaching them our values day by day.

School will start back up for us soon, and I can't wait.  I'll get a bit more of a schedule going, get a bit more organized.  My husband went to a "back to school" sale and bought us some notebooks on sale.  It made me feel a bit excited about starting things back up.  In our family, we pretty much follow the public school schedule, just because it seems to work for us.  When it does start up, the bus will drive right by our house, because my children will be home, where they belong.