On Your Mark....

...Get Set....

GO!

Kids love to line up elbow to elbow,

their rubber-soled shoes pointing to an inevitable victory,

and dash forward with the final command~

GO!

Young kids think they're going to win every race they enter.

They challenge their older sibling,

and think they're going to win.

They challenge their dad,

and think they're going to win.

They aren't mature enough to  understand when they do win,

it's because Daddy lets them win.

As they age,

they understand the competition,

they understand their limitations,

and they realistically know they might not win every race.

But, the diligent racers still put their foot forward,

crouch down,

and listen for that command

GO!

When I first lined up for the race of homeschooling,

I was confident I was going to win.

My enthusiasm and my excitement knew no boundaries.

Who doesn't love school supplies?

Coloring?

Cutting?

Reading?

I was thrilled to be doing

what I loved

with

whom I loved.

When I first heard the starting gun,
I took off sprinting.

The supplies and books had already been purchased,

special snacks and meals prepared,

everything was waiting for that exiting occasion~

the first day of school.

I was surprised to discover what I thought was going to be a sprint,

turned out to be the hurdles.

Through the years, my race has been interrupted by

by

floods,

books on backorder,

fires,

company,

power outages,

blizzards,

deaths,

moves,

and my personal battle with cancer.

When I first put my foot on that starting line,

I had no idea how hard it sometimes would be 

to see the finish line ahead of me.

But, I always kept my rubber-soled shoes pointing forward.

It wasn't always pretty, but I always finished,
and I've learned to count
finishing
as
winning.

This year, I don't think I was even at the starting line when the gun went off.

Like my kids, I just didn't want summer to end.

But, like most veterans,
I now understand the competition and
I now understand my limitations.

I've learned what has to be done ahead of time,
and what can be done as you go.
I've learned that anxiety and frustration breed faster in a home
than all the dust bunnies in my corners.
I've learned that the most important thing about this race,
is to be thrilled to be doing


what I love
with
whom I love.


 

Ya' know what? 


Once the race started again this year,
I was a little kid all over again.

My rubber-soled shoes are pointing to an inevitable victory,

I'm convinced I'm gunna' win.