In the world of family traditions, food seems to play a critical part of many meaningful hours of fellowship. I have long considered this phenomenon. Consider...why would this be? Why does food equal 'good times'? I really began to consider this when I turned 30 and realized that I had to actually consider what foods I ate and when. The realization that the days of whatever and whenever were over if I wanted to maintain my health was quite a blow, to be sure! I realized then, how much of our family (immediate and extended) traditions that we all look forward to involve a lot of really tasty food. I tried to fight it for awhile. I ranted about it, cooked a lot of healthy alternatives and suggested other activities for celebrating. All of this was met with outward patience and inward hostility from my loved ones. I succumbed....I still make the cookies, pies, and heavy dishes that they all expect on certain occasions. The trade-off? We eat 'clean' the rest of the time. A solid arrangement that we can all live with.
The family 'food' tradition that I value the most is Birthdays. A tradition in our home (and my mother's home), is that the person having a birthday chooses the dinner and the cake. The cake is always home-made and the dinner is something prepared by me or at a restaurant of his or her choosing. It's a little way for all of us to enjoy the special day considering that the birthday person almost always chooses to eat out. I think it became a tradition on accident...likely born out of convenience. When I remind the family of an upcoming birthday, the response is always, "where are we eating?". We have come to expect how each birthday will be defined depending on who is having their special day, as we can see a marked part of the personality of our special person bleeding through in their food choice, for instance; we will enjoy the Japanese experience on my youngest son's birthday who hopes to live in Asia one day; Mexican on mine, which happens to be a culture I have experienced a lot of and enjoy a great deal. It will be food from the sea for my middle son, who would live on a boat if he could. You get the picture...on birthdays, a part of who we are is truly expressed in what we eat!
Friday, February 18, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
about community
Homeschooling is a community. It is a commonality amongst people (usually parents) who are like minded in a particular pursuit...that of educating one or more children (or teens) to the best of their ability....a heavy investment in another's life. We are held together by the security we offer one another in just knowing that there are others out there that agree with our hearts pursuit. We reinforce eachother in a process that is not mainstream and is often frowned upon by those who don't agree with it. This was even more true in the early days of homeschooling when it was very uncommon to do so. A homeschooling parent met with a great deal of criticism and skepticism from most of society, including loved ones and family members.
A person in the homeschooling community generally finds encouragement and support from others that agree with their values, but I believe the greatest cohesive factor found in this community is the understanding that we offer one another. Unless a person has been a homeschooling parent, it is difficult for one to relate to the particular struggles, sacrifices, and rewards that come with it. We enter the community for a myriad of different reasons but we all share the need for affirmation in our endeavor. One commonality shared amongst the members in the homeschooling community is the belief that for whatever reason (there are many and they vary for each family) an education at home will be more beneficial to their child/ren than traditional schooling. Another commonality is the willingness and ability to be able to provide this educational setting. It is not always a possibility for some who might desire it and most people involved in this community are grateful to be able to offer what they feel is best for a particular child at a particular time. Members also share a great deal with one another; mainly advice, ideas, and resources. It would be a great deal more difficult to homeschool without one another's support in these areas.
One of the greatest tensions that can arise in this community is a difference in ideology resulting in factions. This is common in any community I suppose considering that humans are humans regardless of where and how they commune, but it seems sadly unfortunate to have it happen in such a small, minority community that needs one another so much for success. There are different belief systems within the community. For instance, we have homeschoolers, unschoolers, and public/homeschoolers to name a few.
I fit into this group as a parent who has homeschooled my own children as well as other people's children. I have independently homeschooled, toyed with the idea of unschooling, and ultimately was one of the first parent/teachers involved in the opening of two different public school homeschool programs. I have been active in this community for the last 17 years and would never even have started homeschooling if not for the support and encouragement of existing members. It is a community that I admire deeply and am honored to be a part of. I believe in the endeavors of this community and have seen the positive impacts that it can have on young lives. Even though I am now a student myself, I hope to be involved in this community for years to come.
A person in the homeschooling community generally finds encouragement and support from others that agree with their values, but I believe the greatest cohesive factor found in this community is the understanding that we offer one another. Unless a person has been a homeschooling parent, it is difficult for one to relate to the particular struggles, sacrifices, and rewards that come with it. We enter the community for a myriad of different reasons but we all share the need for affirmation in our endeavor. One commonality shared amongst the members in the homeschooling community is the belief that for whatever reason (there are many and they vary for each family) an education at home will be more beneficial to their child/ren than traditional schooling. Another commonality is the willingness and ability to be able to provide this educational setting. It is not always a possibility for some who might desire it and most people involved in this community are grateful to be able to offer what they feel is best for a particular child at a particular time. Members also share a great deal with one another; mainly advice, ideas, and resources. It would be a great deal more difficult to homeschool without one another's support in these areas.
One of the greatest tensions that can arise in this community is a difference in ideology resulting in factions. This is common in any community I suppose considering that humans are humans regardless of where and how they commune, but it seems sadly unfortunate to have it happen in such a small, minority community that needs one another so much for success. There are different belief systems within the community. For instance, we have homeschoolers, unschoolers, and public/homeschoolers to name a few.
I fit into this group as a parent who has homeschooled my own children as well as other people's children. I have independently homeschooled, toyed with the idea of unschooling, and ultimately was one of the first parent/teachers involved in the opening of two different public school homeschool programs. I have been active in this community for the last 17 years and would never even have started homeschooling if not for the support and encouragement of existing members. It is a community that I admire deeply and am honored to be a part of. I believe in the endeavors of this community and have seen the positive impacts that it can have on young lives. Even though I am now a student myself, I hope to be involved in this community for years to come.
Monday, January 10, 2011
about the contents of my purse (you can feed my fish)
My purse. It is always revealing who I am and always adjusting it's summation, as it contents are frequently changing. New arrivals crowd out old flames, but the faithful remain. The faithful are those things that have been with me for many years, things that have stood the test of time and solidly speak to my personality. Included in this list are my debit/credit cards and checkbook, as I am always anticipating the need for commerce. My driver's license offers an overview of person and makes obvious my ability to operate a vehicle competently and my desire to do so. My phone, of course, which includes photos of my life, is likely the cornerstone of all the contents. My ability to be able to interact with others is a must. Anyone perusing my phone would observe that it sees a great deal of activity on most days. We also find hand lotion, lip product, and tweezers as I don't like to be without access to smooth hands, lips and skin at any given time. A pen can always be found, an obvious necessity.
Gum. This oral fixation will likely never end and to be without access to it can send me into a nervous fit. Sad but true. I don't think a person looking into my purse could really fully appreciate the importance of this particular item. It speaks to my personality so profoundly that it would surely be overlooked as a mere breath freshener. Gum gives me an opportunity to be constantly in motion...ever engaged in a physical activity. I can be still, but not for long...unless I can at least exercise my jaws. It allows me to sit somewhere (class, church, a friendly visit, knitting, painting) and engage my mind without getting squirmy.
The more transient items currently found in my purse which are of less importance, making their way in and out at any given time are my Ipod, earbuds, outgoing mail, and purse hook. While less stationary, even these items reveal something about who I am. My Ipod allows me to enjoy music, share photos, etc. The purse hook (keeps a purse off of the floor) is indicative of my distaste for uncleanliness.
What is the sum total of my purse's revelation of my being? Perhaps one would surmise that I am a 40 year old female Everett resident with healthy lips and smooth skin who is relational and loquacious, enjoys music and cleanliness, is literate, able to drive, enjoys constant motion (or at least fresh breath), has a family and dogs that she values, and contributes to the economy. While somewhat random in her organization, she is fairly simplistic in terms of baggage.
Hmmm...a non-comprehensive, but definitely fair analysis.
Gum. This oral fixation will likely never end and to be without access to it can send me into a nervous fit. Sad but true. I don't think a person looking into my purse could really fully appreciate the importance of this particular item. It speaks to my personality so profoundly that it would surely be overlooked as a mere breath freshener. Gum gives me an opportunity to be constantly in motion...ever engaged in a physical activity. I can be still, but not for long...unless I can at least exercise my jaws. It allows me to sit somewhere (class, church, a friendly visit, knitting, painting) and engage my mind without getting squirmy.
The more transient items currently found in my purse which are of less importance, making their way in and out at any given time are my Ipod, earbuds, outgoing mail, and purse hook. While less stationary, even these items reveal something about who I am. My Ipod allows me to enjoy music, share photos, etc. The purse hook (keeps a purse off of the floor) is indicative of my distaste for uncleanliness.
What is the sum total of my purse's revelation of my being? Perhaps one would surmise that I am a 40 year old female Everett resident with healthy lips and smooth skin who is relational and loquacious, enjoys music and cleanliness, is literate, able to drive, enjoys constant motion (or at least fresh breath), has a family and dogs that she values, and contributes to the economy. While somewhat random in her organization, she is fairly simplistic in terms of baggage.
Hmmm...a non-comprehensive, but definitely fair analysis.
Monday, January 3, 2011
about character
I was just setting up my blog wondering what to write about when I began thinking about 'character'.. who we are and who we are not. I recalled a line from a movie that always stuck with me as a...truism. "I consider that it is not what a person feels or says that makes him who he is, but rather what he does." Hmmm..I concur! ;)
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