No Sacrifice at All

I learned a lovely little life lesson the other night.  I learned it where I learn so many little subtle nudges of wisdom, from a good book.  I was reading The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom.   I wasn't reading it for insight, just enjoying it as the quick, simple read that it is.  But when I came upon page 93, my eyes began to well up, and my heart did too, with a refreshing new perspective.

In the story, a man who has recently dies meets five people from his life who teach him lessons and give him a broader view of the life he just led.  One of these lessons is about sacrifice. 

" Sacrifice is a part of life.  It's suppossed to be.  It's not something to regret. It's something to aspire to....Sometimes when you sacrifice something precious, you're not really losing it. You're just passing it on to someone else."

Wow.  I know that my husband and I definately made the right decision in homeschooling.  Not a day goes by that I am not thankful for its many, many merits.  I so appreciate this time being home with my children.  But it wasn't made without sacrifice.  I had a career, hey, I even had an income!  There is always that slight hint of panic hanging around the edges of the euphoria of homeschooling, that I gave up something too big.  Something that I might not be able to get back.

I realize now that I haven't really given up anything.  I'm just giving something different to someone I really love, and someone who really needs it.  Yes, I offered up a career for a while, but I have recieved so much in return.  My husband goes to work without having to worry about how our little guy is surviving a school day.  He has gained peace of mind.  I can start each day knowing that I am available to my children, to help them learn, to help them socialize, to help them be together as a family.  In the big picture, we have lost nothing.  But we have gained a lot.

For other families who are considering homeschooling, but may be daunted by all that has to be sacrificed to make it happen, I think we offer up an example.  Homeschool families are like all others, like any other family that makes the financial decision to keep a parent in the home.  Decide what is most important to you, make that your goal, and make your decisions and sacrifices accordingly.  Without regrets.  Aspire to reach your true goals, and be grateful.

Above all else, we have gained a happy, secure, comfortable enviornment for our boy to live and learn in.

And that's no sacrifice at all.