Wednesday, October 13, 2010

This is My Job

I wasn't raised to live this way. I wasn't raised to make the life decisions that led me to the space and the place in which I now reside. I was not raised to be a stay-at-home mom. I most definitely was not raised to be a (dare I say it?) homeschooling mom.

And yet I am. Much to the chagrin of loved ones, friends, acquaintances, strangers, and even myself at times, I...am...a...homeschooling mom. This has not been easy for me. It is true that I was raised to believe that I could conquer the world. I was raised to believe that I could be anything I wanted to be. However, this did not include staying home and raising "some man's babies."

This has not been an easy decision. I know the broad shoulders on which I stand. I know what my family members, my people, and my gender have endured, and what glass ceilings had to be smashed so that I could enjoy all of these freedoms. I know, because of these struggles, what is owed for these freedoms. I am expected to repay through work as a lawyer, a doctor, a banker, or something else "very important." Let's be real: anything except staying home and teaching my children.

This is my job. There! I said it. I have done it all: stay-at-home mom, work-at-home mom, working mom, and now homeschooling mom. The only mom I have not been is a single mom! Yet, nothing feels more right for me and my family than what I am doing now.

And the pay is outstanding! It may not reap much monetarily, but I can't beat the benefits. First, there are the little boy giggles as they repeatedly try to sneak into my room to tell me good morning. It's seeing all of the firsts for myself. It's the hugs, kisses, and looks of wonder when they learn something new. Most satisfying is being able to help them bring every situation and lesson learned back to God and see how His story is our story every day of our lives. No one could ever pay me enough for this.

So, there....I said it. I am a home school mom...and I am learning to love it.