Last Thursday morning, I overheard a lot of talking and laughing in the kitchen. We had a lot of schoolwork on the docket for the day and what I heard definitely didn’t sound productive. In fact, it sounded like a whole lot of messing around on a very busy day. So I walked into the room and found what you see here.
My four oldest kids were all hanging out, chatting and laughing about things I didn’t understand.
“Okay, guys – time to get back to school.”
That’s what I almost said. But instead, I paused, took a picture, turned around, and walked out of the kitchen.
There is always more school work.There are always more chores.There is always a to-do list a mile long.
But in that exact moment, standing at the entrance to our kitchen, I realized…this is exactly why we homeschool.
Each year as we evaluate our kids’ education choices, my husband and I always easily agree on one thing: developing strong sibling relationships is one of our primary goals for our children.
What I saw in that moment in the kitchen was not just the beauty of that exact moment taking place right then, but also the beauty of what, Lord willing, our future will hold.
Adult children hanging out in the kitchen, laughing and talking, very possibly still about things I don’t understand. Just enjoying each other’s company and soaking up that time together.
I would give up anything for my children to love the Lord, and by default, to love each other. In fact, I have given up a lot of things. But none of those things matter even remotely when compared to this moment of beauty in our home.
So mamas (and dads too)….don’t be discouraged. The hard work is worth it for glimpses like these. It might take 17 years of parenting to get to this point, but when you do, there is no comparison to the joy you will feel.
Don’t give up.
Don’t give up on training them to do what is right.
Don’t give up on reminding them to pick up after themselves.
Don’t give up on teaching kindness and forgiveness.
Don’t give up on correcting poor behaviors.
As exhausting as it is, and as much as you want to just throw in the towel, don’t give up on the hard days.
There will be good days in the future, and when those good days come, you will be grateful for all the time you poured into your children’s souls.
As much as I hated the saying when my children were young, it still stands true: The days are long, but the years are short.
Don’t miss them.