Life Education

I would like to share a brief anecdote about the benefit of homeschooling for my family in passing on the faith, and to fight the struggle some of us feel about whether or not we should put our kids in school.

On Feb 1 our family welcomed our 4th baby. A very fat and contented little fellow, named Blaise. As you can imagine very little homeschooling got done those first 6 weeks of his life at home with us.

Just about a month after getting back on track with our lesson plans, my father suffered a massive stroke which rendered him speechless and virtually helpless. It put him in the hospital, where he stayed for about 3 weeks and on May 9, Mother's Day, he passed away.

Needless to say, there hasn't been much homeschooling going on at my house again for the past month or so. At first it led me to think that I would have been better off putting the kids in school this year, had I been able to see ahead to what was going to happen. We have lost a lot of book time and I worry about those things a lot. But, after some worry and lots of prayer, it came to me what a life education my children have had since the beginning of February.

They have been an integral part in welcoming a new life into our fold. They "do" for Blaise at every opportunity. I am sure that he must think he is the prince of the household, since it is apparent it all revolves around him. They have been experiencing in a very real and tangible way, that their cooperation is not only appreciated but needed and that God didn't just chose THIS mommy and THIS daddy for Blaise, but He chose this whole family. THIS particular oldest sister, THIS big brother, etc.

Fast on the heels of Blaise's arrival, my children ministered to my father, their beloved grandfather, each of his last days on this earth. They soothed him physically, prayed for his soul diligently (my father was not a Catholic), and had the patience to simply be with him and hold his hand. My 47 year old brother said that he learned how to be with a dying person by watching my children. What a testimony to the fact that my children organically, intrinsically, intuitively know that life is valuable from it's beginning to its end, simply because God loves us.

What a great privilege God has accorded me by letting me nurture my family in this way. He must love me greatly!

contributed by Kate from British Columbia