As a teacher to my children for the past 11 years I have learned many valuable lessons about education. God has been slowly defining what education is and what it is not for me using experience coupled with His manufacturer's manual, the Bible. I have learned that education takes place every second of the day from the time we wake up to the last waking moment as we snuggle down in our cozy beds each evening. Education is taking place when my children delight in the woodpecker pecking into a nearby tree or as they observe a fuzzy caterpillar crawling up a twig. Learning is taking place when we share the responsibility of feeding, watering and cleaning out the pen of our new baby chicks, or when we share in the daily chores of maintaining our home and yard. It happens when we are learning patience standing in line at the grocery store, or as my children see me calculating which is a better buy.  Education happens when helping a neighbor in need by taking a meal or mowing a yard.

I have learned that money spent does not equate a good education. Many of the very best lessons in life are free for the taking. In fact I have discovered over the years that  one of the most valuable and often overlooked assets we have to learn from are right under our very noses and completely free. They are just waiting for someone to come enjoy and absorb the wealth of wisdom and knowledge that experience has taught them. They are a treasure trove of gems and nuggets gleaned from their own trials and triumphs, failures and victories.

If you have not guessed it already, I am speaking of the elders that are all around us, in our communities and our churches, in our families and in our  local rest homes. These are the people who have raised their own children and are now in the empty-nest stage of their lives and beyond.  They have so much to offer to our children and ourselves and we are missing out if we do not seek out what they have to share with us.

I can't write up lessons that parallel  what the elders in our life have taught us. Here are just a scattering of examples.

-We have a couple in our church who have a passion for botany and were so gracious to invite us to their house last fall and to teach us all about the plants and herbs in their yard (they used to run a green house where they sold these herbs). The wife was also so very happy to accompany us on a nature walk around our house where she taught us all about the weeds and plants right here in our neck of the woods. We were thrilled to learn about the many edible and medicinal plants there are all around us. She also taught us what kind of traits to look for when seeking to identify plants. And guess what? She also knows how to dry these different kinds of plants and makes the most beautiful baskets out of them! And what's more? She is happy to teach us how!

-We have a neighbor lady that lives just down the road from us. Last summer just shortly after we moved in, she was so sweet to invite us to come and pick cherries and raspberries from her yard and we were happy to accept. When we got there she first invited us in for a bit of conversation. As the conversation began to unfold we learned that she had grown up in the very house that we were now living in and that when she was little, her three bachelor uncles had built the house themselves. She had so much to share with us about growing up out here - memories of making apple cider, of climbing Tekoa mountain and looking down over their farm from up on the hillside, and even of a local huckleberry patch that they used to pick from. We hope to locate it!

-Last fall as we were visiting with with my grandparents one evening, my grandpa started telling the kids about a pet monkey named Jake that he had when he was in the Phillipines serving our country during WWII. The next thing I know he was pulling out a picture album, that I didn't even know existed, of pictures he had taken while over there. Amazing photos depicting Grandpa's life during that time. Photos of  Grandpa and Grandma as young newlyweds just before Grandpa's deployment. Photos of Grandpa and his brother Glen in their uniforms - so handsome! And yes, even a few pictures of Jake!  This led to a discussion about the war. Pretty soon Grandma joined in and the account they shared of what it was like back then was amazing to listen to. The emotions, the patriotism and courage, the fear and heartbreak were still present as they recounted the different memories they had. I learned more from that conversation than I had ever learned about the war throughout my own education, and all the while my kids were listening and learning as well.

My Dad used to catch and collect butterflies with some of his buddies when they were little and he still remembers so much about what he learned doing this 40 years ago. For Christmas my parents got nets and a butterfly guide for the kids with the promise that they would take them bug and butterfly hunting this summer. This will be a wonderful lesson in entomology that can't be found in a textbook.

My mom has spent many days baking with my children. She also knows how to make reed baskets and is excited to do this with us!

My best friend in high school has an amazingly talented mom. She was so sweet to offer an art class to my kids and I where she taught us how to make Pisanki Eggs.

Some friends of ours had a dear sweet lady that loved to spend the day sewing with their two young girls, teaching them all she knows.

I could go on and on about the amazing talents and knowledge that surround us just waiting to be passed on, and I can't think of better examples of outstanding character that I would want my children to spend large amounts of time around.

I truly believe that this is what God intended when He told us.....

"He that walketh with wise men shall be wise"  Proverbs 13:20