She's four. She recently found her legs, and now, standing in the airport tram, she dutifully clings to the handrail as directed. Her dad smiles down, a hand ready to catch her should she slip. Her determination is in her face and white knuckles; his joy and pride is in his smile.
I tear my attention from the happy family to look in the other direction. A young woman sits alone in the opposite car. She isn't the least bit concerned with the approaching movement of the tram. Her mind--making sense of the digital display on the device before her--is elsewhere. She doesn't notice when we start to move.
There is such joy in the potential a child carries. But we don't always want to be hovering nearby, ready to catch them should they fall. We want them to grow and step out into the world. We want our children to be winsome ambassadors for Christ where He leads them. So there is something to the easy independence typified by the young woman. But seeing her, I also felt lonely and isolated. I have no idea if she had the same experience, but in that moment, her solitude was disheartening. We want our children actively engaged with the world, not aloof in their own.
So as I wrestled with these conflicting feelings, tussling inside me, I realized this boils down to a single idea: We want our children to thrive.
You may have children who still grip the handrails of life, needing a steady hand from time to time. Or, your children may be heading out into the world on their own, where you pray they shine as lights in the world. Wherever you are in this journey, may you have grace and wisdom as you help prepare your children to thrive. Naturally, I think homeschooling is an excellent way to help facilitate this. And if you're still looking for homeschool curriculum that can take you from Preschool through High School, check out Sonlight's programs.
~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester
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