I went to my Charlotte Mason study group Monday night. We are studying Book 1 Home Education, and came away inspired. I always am. I have read this book, this chapter many times but CM never fails to catch me in some new way because life is always being lived in a new way. Once I was lamenting to another mother who had more experience and a bigger family than me. I was complaining that just as I had some sort of system working or a way of doing something figured out, it stopped working! Something changed or it wouldn't flow right anymore. Of course, she replied, life is dynamic and always changing, children get older and grow out of stages and enter new ones, you have more children, you move, etc etc. So true and now I don't look for a fix or for any permanent working system. And life changes and brings new seasons and the best thing to do is to roll with it, right? So here we roll.
Some things that inspired me:
People who live in the country know the value of fresh air very well, and their children live out of doors, with intervals within for eating and sleeping. As to the latter, even the country people do not make full use of their opportunities...For we are an overwrought generation, running to nerves as cabbage runs to seed; and every hour spent in the open is a clear gain...
Never be within doors when you can rightly be without.
I wish I had a nickle for every time I have quoted that last part to my children. But something new hit me between the eyes. Let me share it with you because I am quite challenged by it.
'I make a point,' says a judicious mother,' of sending my children out, weather permitting, for an hour in the winter, and two hours a day in the summer months.' That is well; but it is not enough. In the first place, do not send them; if it is anyway possible, take them; for, although the children should be left much to themselves, there is a great deal to be done and a great deal to be prevented during these long hours in the open air.
Sigh. Did I not read that before?? I am that mother! I am very good at sending them out. But do I go, too?? Not so much. And what am I missing during those times?
And long hours they should be; not two, but four, five, or six hours they should have on every tolerably fine day, from April till October. (I'd venture to add CM would have said all year for our NC climate!)
'Impossible!' says an over-wrought mother (that's me!) who sees her way no more for her children than a daily hour or so on the pavements of the neighboring London squares.
Let me repeat, that I venture to suggest, not what is practicable in any household, but what seems to me absolutely best for the children; and that, in the faith that mothers work wonders once they are convinced wonders are demanded of them.
I had a full night and morning chewing on just this, the first three pages of this chapter. How can I do this? Then I start telling Charlotte; you see, her books are so living I feel like she's my friend, I start telling her all the reasons that won't work in my life, this day and age, with a family of my size, etc. And I am always telling other people how her philosophy of education is timeless and how she would have employed modern technology and how she was cutting edge and kept up with all things new in her world.
But then I thought what if? What if I was free enough in my life to do this? I am a town dweller. Our yard is less than an acre and our local park leaves a lot to be desired. But Charlotte said this, too.
A journey of twenty minutes by rail or omnibus, and a luncheon basket, will make a day in the country possible to most town-dwellers: and if one day, why not many, even every suitable day?
Well, here I sit with some absolutely beautiful and breath taking sites within 20-30 minutes driving distance from my house. Every suitable day? How would I get anything done? What about laundry, dinner, cleaning and on and on the list goes. But what if I pared down my life some more. Gave my family more margin. Used my modern conveniences like my crockpot. Was a little more organized to finish school by 12:30 (which we do most days) Since I have taken a sabbatical from midwifery my life has been so free! I miss it, it will always be a part of me, but I am so free to be present for my family.
And being present is what God has been working on in me. A year ago one of our elders preached a sermon on being present where you are. God seared my heart with it. That is why I quit taking clients, for even when I was at home I was never fully present with my children and family. I have never had a school year where we have accomplished so much and seen so much progression in the children. And joy!
So could I give up more? Have days free enough to live as my heart longs to live? Free and fully engaged in the world as it happens, not looking at it out of glass windows as it passes me by?
It will be messy, life always is and it won't be rose colored. But I am so challenged to do it! So I gave up some more commitments, am praying about giving up others and took a leap yesterday. I'd like to journal as I do this. And be very real about it.
Yesterday I took a dive into it. Life is hectic this week. We are getting ready for a guest so of course are cleansing our house of clutter and Christmas stuff. But I was challenged to just do it because life with 8 kids is always hectic, right?! So it was really real and funny and breath taking and wonderful and I will write about it this afternoon.
Blessings
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