Ok, in the shower today I was thinking more about planning.
I thought about how it is hard to give what you don't have. Be that love, faith or knowledge. I grew up in the public schools and though had an idyllic childhood after school and on weekends, I spent a lot of my day under flourecent lights with dull worksheets. I didn't find out about delightful books or the love of learning until I began homeschooling my sweet then-young boys.
What a treasure trove I discovered! All the wonderful stories and books... oh coming to mind are such friends as Charlotte's Web, Elmer and the Dragon, The Cabin Faced West, Beatrice Potter, Goodnight Moon, Tarzan, Around the World in 80 Days, Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Cheaper By The Dozen.. Oh, I could go on and on.
When I started homeschooling and specifcially when I began to understand Charlotte Mason and others' philosophy of great ideas (through literature and other things) I knew I was at a disavantage. I knew nothing of it, so how could I teach it?
I also remember a fellow mom of small ones asking how she could teach her son the faith when she knew so little of it and felt so little of it.
I knew I had to learn to be able to teach, learn to be able share and lead.
So, I began to learn. I learned about literature by looking up booklists and reading aloud to the boys. I developed my philsophy of learning by reading books on homeschooling and learning and discussing it with friends. And to this day I continue to learn alongside as well as independently from my sons.
What a wonderful job description- learning is my job. :)
And the adventure has been nothing short of delighful and marvelous!
So, how does this relate to planning?
I realized that much of the 'planning' I do is not sitting down with pad and paper or with my fingers poised at my keyboard. It is done in everyday life. It is done as I listen to a Peter Kreeft audio about Thomas Aquinas' view of angels. It is done as I read Lord of the Rings and savor the wonders of the language JRRT puts on paper for us to enjoy. It is done as I skim through the Scientific American magaziene and see relations to the science DVD we are watching this week.
It is done as I ponder life and learn. Some of my best planning is done in prayer when I ask my Creator just *what* it is I am supposed to do with these boys? I love to ask this question in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, because the answers are usually loud and clear!
I am finding that the education I am giving myself, securing that my oxygen flow is cool and abundant enables me to share with my boys, thus ensuring they recieve fresh air and room to think and grow. When I am out of gas, I can't share. But, those out of gas days (such as yesterday) seem to give them time, too. We all have down days, as Luke Westenburg once wisely remarked.
But, if I take the time for prayer and beauty then I can help my boys find it, too. That is my favorite planning I think, because it also allows the Holy Spirit to get a word in the plan, too.
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- Cindy
- Texas, United States
- We are all on a journey, and this blog's reason for existence is to be a place to put mine. From humble suburbian begnnings just north of Dallas to a Catholic unschooler with a passion for faith, lifelong learning, my family and dogs, here I stand before you. Welcome to my world!
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6 comments:
This is beautiful, Cindy. Distills a lot of the wisdom you've shared through the years with me.
Very good, Cindy - esp about the self learning and how that sharing just pops up. It details a lot of what I instinctively know but that you put into words for me.
Cindy, I LOVE this!
I have to tell you - God is so amazing! This has been so much on my mind lately - especially the part about "being out of gas" and for me, not knowing what direction to head in sometimes. This past week God has so ABUNDANTLY gotten my attention through Mass homilies, articles, blogs, inspirations and wise friends.
I also echo what Leonie said about knowing instictively. But lately - especially since Christmas, I've been in a kind of fog with no clear direction - sometimes we just need someone to point it out to us. Thanks! (and as usual, I'm long winded! Sorry!!) =)
Hi Cindy,
I liked the simile of the oxygen mask - it was quite evocative for me!
It's always fun to be quoted, too - lol.
I do agree that planning is often best carried out organically, rather than divorced from the rest of life.
And I definitely agree strongly that it's important to take time out sometimes. As T S Eliot said, "Except for the point, the still point, there would be no dance". (It's from Burnt Norton, it took me quite a while to dig up the poem - I got distracted by his other works...)
Hi Luke!
Love the quote...
I like what you wrote about your planning happening as life happens. I was always like this, too, but felt remiss when seeing others' huge planning books and planning blogs. Let God do the planning!
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