In my early days of homeschooling, I found it to be a somewhat lonely journey. Here I was at home with these two tiny humans all day. At first, our days were full of wonderment and adventure because of the “newness” of the season. I quickly, though, found myself running out of creativity, resources, new ideas, and, quite honestly, ENERGY! I needed other moms in my life, moms who were walking a similar path, having similar needs, desires, as well as fears. The problem was that I really couldn’t express this need because I wasn’t sure what it was that I was looking for.
A dear friend from our church family must have seen the look on my face, perhaps a look that she had seen in her mirror in her early days of homeschooling. She took the opportunity to begin a conversation with me, and I wound up telling her of my fears and desires in homeschooling the precious ones that God had entrusted to me. She told me about a beautiful resource that I never knew existed: a homeschool support group. She told me of her personal experiences with one such group and felt sure that it was just what I needed. I was excited at the prospect of being part of a group of Moms (and Dads and Grandparents too) with whom I could share my homeschooling life. To be honest, I was a bit fearful, too, as this was a very foreign concept to me, just as the whole idea of homeschooling was at first. What I found was nothing short of incredible, a very timely blessing from the Lord.
I found our local support group to be a place of refuge where I could go and find support and encouragement from other moms. I could glean from others’ experiences and share my experiences, successes, and failures in the hopes of maybe helping other moms along their journey. It was a place where my kids could go and fellowship with others, not just their age, but a range of ages in a safe environment; it was just the place I was seeking.
For the past thirteen years, my kids and I have participated in field trips and co-op classes where they learned from other parents who hold similar values to ours. My mom-friends and I attended state conventions and other events together. This past weekend, we celebrated a joint commencement to graduate our youngest, our last homeschooler, along with six seniors he befriended through the years.
Find your peeps, Moms; find your community, your local support group. Perhaps this may even mean the opportunity for you to start a new group if one is not available in your area. I genuinely believe you will be amazed at what God will show you and teach you. You do not have to walk this path alone.
