I long for spring in this land of long winters; I find it very hard to face fall. Fall. Autumn; that time of year when days are crisp and clean and lovely, but ever a reminder that winter is coming.
I missed a whole month of summer, and now I am eating up every second of the beautiful fall days that are quickly melting away. The last of the tomatoes are on the vines and I am picking them each day hoping that the frost won’t come too quickly. When it does arrive, the frost turns everything such a dreary gray.
Oh, Spring, come back quickly!
My family and I have been so blessed to work on a farm each growing season for the last two years. The season seems SO long when I look at it stretched out before me at the beginning. It seems to never end on the future horizon. We imagine seemingly endless weeks, but suddenly it’s over. All the plants are finished growing, the fruit of the vine is gone. But we are richer for the experience. Tired, healthy, closer together and learning more are just a few of the products of our labors.
The aroma of grape juice boiling in the kitchen, making ready for jars and jars of jelly, jam and syrup have been enticing my senses for the last few days. The yummy scent of okra, sun-chokes, onion and squash sautéing for dinner are making my mouth water. Fresh cherry and yellow pear tomatoes are waiting for me. I can’t wait any longer!
Homeschooling has its cycles and seasons, just like the days, weeks, months, and years. Younger children are in the season of learning to read. Middle children are spreading their wings and driving tractors! Oldest Child is getting to be independent and showing how much she is capable of in the presence of only God and herself.
That is what Homeschooling is about. It is life, and it is a season and there is no rushing it or changing the way it works out or making it happen faster than it naturally would, or slowing it down so that you can savor it for one more day.
It just has to keep on going, keep on turning, and keep on growing.
We plant the seeds, we water, we hoe, and we weed. We get to harvest, some days. Other days we don’t get to see the harvest, but someone else does! What a blessing to be a part of the process; the gardener, the farmer.
As a farmer is at the mercy of the weather, the water, the pests and diseases, so we too as homeschoolers have to deal with those same things.
But we pray and trust, and all is well with the soil, and with our souls.
Happy Homeschooling and Happy Harvesting!
Nancy
Be sure to stop by Eric Novak's blog to read the carnival!
Eric is part of the harvest.....
