When I first started my little corner on the World Wide Web. I wasn’t even thinking about my homeschooling journey coming to an end. It seemed so very far away.
How little I knew about how quickly time truly flies back then. 10 years seems like such a short time ago now. Back then, it seemed like a lifetime.
When you’re in the midst of parenting, homemaking, homeschooling, marriage and work, looking too far into the future is often too overwhelming.
You just focus on accomplishing the next thing. Making the best decisions moment by moment. Ensuring that everyone is fed, clean and cared for appropriately.
Tomorrow is another day after all.
While that is one of my favorite quotes, what is all too often forgotten is that the final tomorrow of all things in life does come.
While many see not preparing for the future as a bad idea or even foolish, living for today is the only way to truly live life well, in my opinion.
So, make each today the very best day. Love. Learn. Live.
When your homeschooling journey ends, it won’t matter a lick what curriculum you used. How many days you homeschooled in a calendar year. Whether your child’s handwriting is beautiful or if they can speak a foreign language well.
When your homeschooling journey ends, what will matter is the moments. The tears you dried when fractions didn’t make any sense at all. The light in their eyes when retelling a story that came to life. The laughter over the animals at the zoo.
Don’t worry so much about the details. Please. Trust me.
Love well. Learn together. Live today.
That is what will truly matter when your homeschooling journey comes to an end.
Your final act as a homeschool mom will likely be to tackle the boxes upon boxes of curriculum (we’re all curriculum hoarders and we know it even if we won’t admit it), schoolwork, projects and crafts.
You’ve saved all of it throughout the years for the what-ifs…and now you have to decide what you want to keep for memories and what you want to pass on to your children for their own keeping.
For many of us, this will be an emotional activity.
You’ve planned and replanned to make things perfect, scrimped and saved to buy the right curriculum each year, given up sleep to ensure home, family, spouse and homeschooling were all taken care of well and sacrificed what little me time there might be left over more times than you can count for the greater good of your family.
Make sure you give yourself ample space and time to begin this project and don’t rush yourself. Those boxes have been sitting there for years and it won’t hurt them to stay a bit longer.
Figuring out your next step after your homeschooling journey comes to an end will vary, but there is one commonality with all veteran homeschool moms.
Time.
You’ll find that you have a lot of free time to fill on your hands.
For some, that time will be filled with volunteer opportunities that speak to your heart. Others may find themselves with grandbabies to fill their arms and time. Perhaps you own a family business that requires the additional hours that you’ve not been able to give it until now. For a season, college kids may ask mom to look over their papers a few times while they find their own way.
Time is a blessing that we truly take for granted. No matter what stage in our lives in which we find ourselves.
My homeschooling journey has come to an end, but I am continuing to love, learn and live for today.
