Many families share the tradition of pausing before, during, or after Thanksgiving dinner so those around the table can voice the things for which they are most thankful.
I’ve always loved that particular tradition because while I cannot always change the peripheral circumstances in life, I can make the decision to choose thankfulness in the midst of whatever is happening.
When I sat down to write this post, I was brainstorming the idea of a homeschooling starter kit and what would have helped me when I first started homeschooling. And while I will revisit that idea on another day, my mind kept wandering to all of the reasons I am thankful to homeschool and the unexpected blessings from strangers along the way.
For instance, the woman on the Education aisle at Barnes & Noble who noticed I was crying but didn’t make a big deal of it; she just asked questions until I could find my calm. Jeff and I had just pulled our oldest child, Emelie, from the local elementary school, and I was overwhelmed. I never intended to be a homeschooling mom. I didn’t know any homeschooling moms. I was there looking for age-appropriate subject workbooks to keep Emelie on track until I could figure out our next step.
I have no idea why I “broke” in the middle of a bookstore, but I did. I never asked her name, and she didn’t ask mine, but she stuck around long enough to help me sort through options and gather my wits. It has been more than a decade, but I am so very thankful for her kindness that day.
A couple of years later, Jeff finished his time with the Army, and we moved back to Texas. Our family lived in the den of my aunt’s home for two months while Jeff looked for a job. My aunt has a family of five too; so, as you can imagine, it was less than quiet. As a remedy, the kids and I loaded our milk crates and walked the two blocks to the library to “do” school Monday through Friday. I considered taking a break from school those two months, but we all needed something productive to do and homeschooling served that purpose while we restructured our life.
Noting the looks of other library patrons when we walked in, we always set up in the back corner. One librarian in particular was overwhelmingly in support of homeschooling. He was a constant help and source of encouragement, which was nice because living out of suitcases and schooling out of milk crates is trying on any momma’s nerves. When I think back on those few weeks, I am thankful for his warm, sincere smile and how welcoming he was every single day we were there.
And last, but certainly not least, I’m thankful for emails from online readers. Our family is not immune to the struggles of life, and like many others, we’ve dealt with everything from financial difficulties to health scares and many other things along the way. We have tried to be transparent–at times, too transparent perhaps, but I cannot even begin to describe how perfectly precious email can be during a particularly rough day or week. The emails sent for all of us were read aloud in the car, around the dinner table, or in the midst of a school day. Others were very personal in nature, and I have those tucked into my journals. The internet is a lesson in dichotomy–one minute it can be a destructive force, and the next, a gentle hug. I am so very thankful for those who took the time to share their lives and love on me and my family with encouraging words.
My turn is over. I know many of you have unexpected blessings to give thanks for, and I would love to hear them in the comments.
Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!
Many, MANY blessings!
Heather Sanders is a leading homeschooling journalist who inspires homeschooling families to live, love and learn. Married to Jeff, Heather lives in the East Texas Piney Woods where she currently home schools two of her three kids.