Never Stop

Learning is an interesting thing.

As a homeschooling mom/teacher, learning is everything. My goal is for learning to be happening :) I am teaching math, science, English grammar, Latin, History, French... plus all the other things like manners, how things are connected, speech & pronunciation, home ec, how to wipe your own toosh & so much more. It's easy to be so tired at the end of the day that you just tune out, turn on the TV & absorb practically nothing for several hours before bed.

But, is that really the fruitful life we are longing for? Is this really in line with the goals which have set us on the path to homeschool our children?

Don't misunderstand me, I know you need a break. I need a break too. I actually got a really amazing, 2 day break last weekend, but it was practically undone in about 3 hrs. I was just telling my husband that I found 20min today to catch up, get motivated & feel on-goal, and then 10min later it was all undone, never to be grasped again that day. It's discouraging to say the least.

I also often tell people that I need to keep on homeschooling in order to not stay stupid. It's very true! I cannot believe how much is out there in life, history, science & so much more that I just had no clue about before I began schooling my kids. Did you know that Helen Keller knew Alexander Graham Bell before he invented the phone? She wrote about him in one of her autobiographies but didn't mention anything about his accomplishments... I was so curious why she didn't say much, so I looked up all the dates. It was eye-opening for me. I didn't even know they lived during the same time! There is SO much in History that is lost on me. But, this is also part of what created a spark in me to keep learning.

You know, there is never a point in your life where you will be unable to learn more! Literally, unless there are complicated health & brain issues, you never get too old to learn. Never too full of information! Your brain is actually limitless!! Most of us are just too tired, too overwhelmed or too uninformed to have the excitement & dedication it takes to learn. It is a long-term investment, and if you are homeschooling, I especially recommend it! Start now! I wish I had started years before my first child arrived. But, I will leave you with one thing I am proud for starting.

Last summer, I went to a local practicum for Classical Conversations. It was excellent! And our speaker shared about her son who has mastered several kinds of Rubik's cubes. He came & demonstrated for us & I was amazed. I was even more in shock when I learned that solving a Rubik's cube is not a matter of being smart. Seriously. I think most people who know how to solve them are, but not because a person has to be smart to solve it. I think it's because a smart person knows it can be accomplished & learns how. It really is just a matter of learning sequences, memorizing steps & practicing. You do it enough, and your brain just gets it!

Now, what I am proud of is that I started to learn how!!!! I have officially memorized how to solve the 2x2 cube, and can solve the 3x3 by looking at the instructions about 2/3 of the time. It has been really amazing to witness my own brain learning in this way. It's saturation - you do it over and over, and your brain just starts to get it. It has been fun, and exciting. And it feels good to make progress on this old brain of mine. And now I am even more motivated to keep learning, trying things that are hard & not to be discouraged by what I don't know. You don't have to solve a Rubik's cube, but you should start something you know will take time, effort & something which will bring you excitement & joy.

I don't always feel so excited about learning new things, or trying hard things, but the goal is to desire this more often. To want to veg out on TV less & less. To want to know more without immediately being discouraged by how much is left unknown. I hope as this blog grows (as God wills), you will find some of that motivation here. No not just by way of my "success" or inspiration, but also just by knowing me, and knowing my struggles & challenges. I hope I have successes & victories to share, but I cannot guarantee how often they will be. But either way, I know the effort to learn more about this life & the world we are in will be worthwhile, for my own life, my children's lives & hopefully the lives of others around me.