Graduation and the Home School Mom

Today is a bittersweet day for this home educatin’ mama – today my eldest son concluded his high school studies.  I have been feeling the weight of the emotion of his graduation for several weeks now but today it slammed me in the gut that this now concludes my portion of his formal education!

Unless you are a homeschooling parent who has accompanied your child on this journey since day one (in this case since he was 4 years old) you won't be able to fully grasp the tremendously heart wrenching joy with which I find myself facing this day, June 11, 2013.  I have had the privilege, for the vast majority of his life, of being the sole person responsible for providing an education that ensures he faces adulthood as a godly, intelligent, articulate, thoughtful, knowledgeable, wise, mature man and now my role has concluded. 

Oh, I know I will still advise him, spiritually guide him, and perhaps even help him a bit with his college studies but after 13 years, I am no longer his teacher and that is such a hard thing to come to terms with. I have spent countless hours researching curriculum, developing our daily schedule, laughing with him, learning with him, arguing with him, being frustrated with him, and experiencing the joy of watching his eyes light up as he grasps a concept. 

I am immensely proud of the young man he has become and I know God has huge things planned for Him that he will accomplish. We educate our children at home, primarily so that they will become God fearing people of character who will make an impact in this world for good. As I look at my graduate, I see that he is a leader, he is strong in his faith, he is massively intelligent, he is polite, he is respectful, he looks out for the underdog, he is kind, and he is loving.

So, as my role as his teacher comes to an end, I can look back on this chapter of our lives with great joy and pride… even as I mourn (oh, and there's still the matter of my two remaining students).