Homeschooling through Hardships

In our life, truly 'fine' happy carousel ride sort of days are rare.  There was a time when life was more like that carousel: a few gentle ups and downs, cheery background music to accompany the flowing ride.  Gracefully we would glide up all combed and pressed for a birthday celebration, present purchased weeks in advance, wrapped perfectly with coordinating bow and hand picked card in hand.  Then down we would ride through a few rough spots, but soon we were back up for a day at the beach.  Something bright was always right around the bend and it was easy to keep smiling with the beautiful rhythm of our happy routine.

That routine just barely held us together when, in the summer of 2006, as we were joyfully preparing for our sixth little bundle to arrive.  I was planning to start school 3 weeks late to have time to adjust to the new baby routine.  Then, as the song goes, "just one word knocked our lives off track".  We were told that our baby certainly wouldn't survive childbirth and if she did, would live only a short time.  Soon Kimber was born with a rare genetic disorder shared by only 200 people in the world.  This condition limits her physically, most dramatically affecting her feeding and growth.  The last 18 months have been a circus act where I am the ringmaster coordinating a three ring circus:  Homeschooling, Family life, and Kimber's Medical care. One moment I was the clown balancing on a ball teaching arithmetic while juggling a breast pump, feeding tube, and a needy toddler, the next I felt like the cartoon character about to leap from an amazing height into a tiny glass of water making a meal out of nothing in 15 minutes or less, then there were those days when I was the lion tamer poised to keep doctors and CPS workers at bay! 

Reality now is that most days are like a ride on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster!  We are talking sudden unexpected turns, suspenseful climbs, dizzying downhill dashes, loop-d-loops and eventually, quivering, coasting to a stop, out of breath, heart pounding, sighing with relief and that's just getting everyone to Friday School on time!!!  SO, when you say 'fine', I see much more.  Sometimes I see the 'fine' that is really 'fantastic'.  It's that twinkle in your eye revealing date plans with your husband, the friend that blessed your day, the sweet joy of a chubby cheeked hug, the smell of the newborn you just held.  But too often, 'fine' really means 'floundering' and your eyes reveal painful truths like the disturbing diagnosis, the sibling conflicts, the financial pressure, the misunderstanding with your spouse and the list goes on.  This is the 'fine' that we hold back, for if we dare utter even one negative syllable, we fear the rest will overflow, overwhelm and consume us.

Home schooling through difficult circumstances produces a lot of 'fine' conversations. In reality it's like riding a custom built rollercoaster, designed to exacting specifications for your personal quest.  Others have passed this way before and some will love you enough to get on board for the ride.  They will call to check on you, bring you a meal, listen when you fall apart, encourage you, guide you along, help you adjust, regroup and adapt as circumstances change.  Sometimes all they can do is watch from the peanut gallery as they love you, pray for you, and painfully watch you struggle, through exhaustion, doubt, worry and fear.  Patiently they wait for the time when you will coast to a stop, wipe the sweat from your brow, breathe a sigh of relief, and join the carousel crowd again.  These are the friends who understand when you haven't called in months, when you stand them up for a play date and will still baby sit without question in a moments notice.  They are there, watching the gauges, putting up safety nets, making sure you don't get derailed on this wild ride of homeschooling through hardships.

We all have difficult circumstances of some type.  For us it was the arrival of a beautiful blessing named Kimber, for others it could be caring for aging parents, raising teenagers, a tragic accident or a difficult diagnosis.   Even though the ride is rough, hold tightly to the consistency of the track that you have lain.  When life takes an unexpected turn, stick with what you know works, re-group, and pull together every resource you have available.   Simplify, find balance in routine, delegate and take help when it is offered!  Prayer and faith in God were instrumental in getting through the past 18 months of our lives.  So join me, "Pray first, then put on your tennies, it's going to be a wild ride!"