It was noticeably dark at 6:00 this morning. And eerily quiet. Gone are the light-filled early mornings, when the sun was up at 5 am. Gone are the symphony of birds that awoke me in early spring and summer. Their songs in the morning were so loud they often woke me before my alarm. Mama birds fluttering about tending their new nest full of babes. Hungry babies tweeting about. It was such a splendid and comforting sound.
Yet, this morning the alarm went off and it was still dark. I lay there listening to the quiet. It was deafening. And I thought about how just a few short months ago, this time of day was so busy and bright…and loud.
I couldn’t help but think it was a picture of the season of life I am heading toward. As those mama birds now have empty nests and quiet mornings, so will I.
We began our 15th year of homeschool today. One has graduated and is on her second year of college and full-fledged adulthood. Another, is readying to do the same.
My second oldest child, and oldest boy, is embarking on his senior year. I can fill this space with the cliches of, “…it goes by so fast…” (it does) but you know the drill. And if you don’t, you will.
Today I just kept thinking of the quiet morning. It was a sobering reminder that for all the times I just wished for some quiet around here…be careful what you wish for.
Like those mama birds, my mornings will turn to quiet for good some day.
I am so thankful for the gift of homeschool. I am truly aware that it is a gift to spend each day with my kids. To enjoy their company. To learn with them. To grow with them. To build our family.
We spent a few hours this morning around the kitchen table. We had a special breakfast, discussed our history and the Bible and literature. But it was about so much more. These babes of mine will leave this nest one day. I hope they will look back and remember a home that was secure and a home that even though was so imperfect, we ultimately built our family on the foundation of God and His Word.
I am savoring this last year of homeschool for my oldest. I won’t rush through the lessons. I will take each day as God gives, knowing that each moment will quickly become a memory. May they be beautiful memories though.
I am excited about this upcoming school year. I have learned over the years what homeschooling is really about. And very little of it has to do with academics. Fifteen homeschool years ago, I was a scared mom who had no idea what she was doing. And look what God has done!
And now we await all that He will do this year and beyond…
We chose this verse for our upcoming homeschool year:
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Philippians 3:12 NIV
Get my books:
Called Home: Finding Joy in Letting God Lead Your Homeschool
Real Homeschool: Letting Go of the Pinterest-Perfect and Instagram Ideal Homeschool
From the early years on, I pored over curriculum catalogs, dreamed big dreams of what our days would look like, spent hours researching the best methods, and ultimately life proved much different than those early dreams.
