The Shoe Factor

Okay, so first of all . . . how fabulous are these??? My birthday was Sunday, and yesterday I spent a wonderful afternoon with my mom that included a bit of shoe shopping. Birthday gift cards + birthday cash + birthday shopping trip = one very happy birthday girl! These are just one of the three pairs that made it home with me . . . more on the incredible clearance deal I got in another post.

So for some reason (I have no idea why), the shoes got me thinking about homeschooling. Having just moved, we've been meeting lots of new people lately, and it occurred to me that so many folks we meet have the same exact reaction when they find out we homeschool . . . "Really? That's great! I could never do it though. I don't have the patience."

At which point I try my hardest not to laugh (at least not out loud). You see, I've never though of myself as (anything remotely resembling) a patient person. And if you ask anyone who knows me well, that's probably not how they'd describe me either. I try hard to give myself credit for my good qualities . . . but patience is simply not one of them.

For me - and I suspect for most of you as well - my decision to homeschool didn't have anything to do with a surplus of patience I just wanted to put to good use. Rather, it was a decision to make what I believe are the best choices for my family despite the limitations and imperfections that I know exist within myself. Certainly it's not the easiest road, but it pushes me to think and grow . . . and even the times that test my patience (and there definitely are plenty) propel us forward down a path of our own choosing.

So that's how the shoes fit in . . . they are my attempt at maintaining a tiny semblance of sanity in my crazy, homeschooling life. And of course, when I say "shoes", I'm not actually talking about (just) shoes but rather all the tiny ways I try to reconnect and remind myself that I'm more than just "mom". For me it's stilettos and dancing and the occasional stolen day off.

What is it for you???