It’s being here now that’s important. There’s no past and there’s no future. Time is a very misleading thing. All there is ever, is the now. We can gain experience from the past, but we can’t relive it; and we can hope for the future, but we don’t know if there is one. ~ George Harrison

Time is precious! It goes by so fast. I know people say to ‘treasure these days, because they go by so fast.’ It used to bug me when people told me that when mine were babies. But, it is true. These years do go by so quickly even when the days seem so long. My youngest is 10, and my oldest is 20. It seems just yesterday I was bringing my oldest home from the hospital. Just five minutes later, I sent him off to kindergarten. An hour went by, and he was in high school. Now, he’s taking college classes and working full time.

I can’t imagine missing out on all of those years with him {or my other two children}. I’ll admit that there were days in the early years of homeschooling when I would gaze longingly at the school bus as it drove by. But, the reality is that I know my kids are {or were} right where they are supposed to be. Home. With me. With each other. Building relationships.

If I were to put them on the bus and send them off to school 8 hours each day, I would be missing out on so many important milestones in their lives. And, they’d be missing out on each other. Homeschooling has allowed my children time to bond with each other. They aren’t just brother and sister, they’re friends. They typically enjoy hanging out with each other. When they aren’t getting along, we can talk through our issues instead of sweeping them under the rug while they pass each other in the hallway a few minutes each day.

We have time to talk to each other. I know what my kids’ dreams are. I was there when they chose to accept the Lord. I listen to their struggles with friends and tough subjects. I’m there to celebrate their successes. I know them. 

I have time to feed their spiritual side. I build daily Bible time into our homeschool schedule. We memorize verses and review them all year long. I’m planting seeds in their souls. In our weekly devotions, we’re building a Biblical worldview. We study our subjects through a Christian lens. We study missionaries and how God works through ‘regular’ people to do His works.

Homeschooling affords my daughter the time to pursue her passion of dancing. She is currently in a pre-professional ballet program, and she spends 2-3 hours at the studio most school nights. I’m so glad that she doesn’t have the added stress of homework. I listen to other mommas struggle with sending their kids off to school for 7+ hours each day only to have them come home and spend their “at home” time doing homework around their dance schedules. I can tailor our schedule so that Emma has the time to get her academics done before heading off to class or a competition or a private lesson.

Even though our days are busy and many times I don’t know whether we’re coming or going, I am still able to spend the bulk of their days with them. I know them inside and out, because I have the time to really get to know their hearts and their souls. This season is short. I thankful for the time I get to spend with the most precious creation on earth – my sweet children!