As a sporadic blogger, I find myself facing a somewhat surprisingly stark truth as I compose this entry: the purpose of my blog is shifting. This is our final year of homeschooling. This, 2025, is my final year as a homeschooling mama. But truth be told, I was born a teacher. Since I was 7 years old, I have been teaching my friends and siblings everything from math to French to Geography (Funny thing is I have no idea where I learned the French to teach them!)…truly, I don’t think it’s gonna end any time soon.
I have three grown children: our older son is 30 and he and his family live in Florida. Our landscaper daughter is 26 and has lived in the Pacific Northwest region for almost 7 years now. And my youngest son will turn 18 in about a month and most of his coursework this term will be completed at the local community college. Wow. How did this happen? At the risk of sounding trite, it feels a bit like a blur at this point. (Though I do love being a Mimi. It’s way more fun than mothering!)
And as uncomfortable as I am with transition, I have been steadily staring this ongoing metamorphosis in the face for about five years. Trying to plan for “What comes next?” so as to provide myself with a smooth exit strategy. Short story…it didn’t work. In fact, I had to shelve it after a couple of years because it was causing me more distress than it was worth. It was blocking my life value of living in the present moment. It was robbing my child of my undivided attention. It just wasn’t worth it.
But it’s back and now it must be addressed head on. Not all at once but in pieces. What does this mean for me? It is a time to grieve to be sure but it is also a time to celebrate what I have accomplished and to look forward to what is yet to come. Do I continue to teach? Do I focus on educating myself for the first time in decades? Do I volunteer to foster new connections in the community? Do I travel more to visit friends and family…So many possibilities to entertain and yet I admit it still looks a bit daunting.
Some relish turning over a new leaf and others cling to daily routines that provide comfort and security but I’m wondering if there isn’t a healthy third option of doing both of these things. I am undeniably a creature of habit but what if I took baby steps toward a new adventure or two…attempt to learn how to use my camera, sign up for an adult education course at an online academy, endeavor to create a lemon meringue pie all by myself. At the same time I can keep my familiar exercise routine and delve more deeply into scripture and cultural topics that have long been pushed aside for lack of energy and time.
As for my blog, expect there to be a shift away from homeschooling children toward home making or possibly home schooling myself; rediscovering who I am (as if I ever knew the answer to that question) and what my purpose for this season of life is and the expression of keen insights into whatever book of the Bible I’m presently studying. Hopefully this abundance of time will prove fruitful in more blog entries!
So I hereby proclaim 2025 the year of big and little life changes. Of embracing risks and celebrating the beauty of routine. A little scary, a little exciting but ready or not, different is on the way! I want to enjoy the moments, get better at feeling ( exploring those feelings from a posture of curiosity rather than judgement) and be kind to myself as I take one step closer to being an empty-nester. In spite of my tendency toward anxious thoughts, I sense just the tiniest bit of awe and wonder at what’s around the corner but more importantly…to see what I can make of it.
Decidedly Different 