Enjoying the Harvest - Part 1

Harvest, the end of the growing season . . . marked by bright orange pumpkins piled high at roadside stands, the spicy, tart smell of apple butter cooking at local orchards, and the excitement of local fall harvest festivals. At the festivals, you can see the county's largest sunflowers, the prettiest canned tomatoes you've ever seen, and the artwork so painstakingly created by children of all ages.

It is a season of reflection, gathering in, and enjoying the fruits of your labor. I'm writing this today to share some of the lessons I've learned over the past few years of homeschooling—the importance of enjoying each moment of harvest in our lives. Whether it is the accomplishment of a child finally learning to tie her own shoes, the excitement of reading his first book all by himself, or the time she points out how pretty the trees look, many times the end product slowly but surely peeks out in the midst of daily life.

As we homeschooled, we faced some unusually tough trials along the way. One of those trials involved a head-on collision with a drunk driver, which resulted in more than twenty surgeries and recovery periods. Through it all, we've homeschooled, and I'm not sure who has learned more, the parents or the children. Before the accident, we were driven by a goal of homeschooling them through high school, keeping our eye on the finished product. One of the lessons from the accident and all of its trials was that we learned to focus more on the daily accomplishments or “moments of harvest.” I want to make you aware of these moments of harvest that should be recognized, savored, and remembered.

Our harvest is not seasonal like a farmer's crop; our harvest is lifelong as we love, nurture, and encourage our family each and every day. And yes, there are days when this is a TALL order, and on those days we can recall the good harvest moments, days when goals were reached, or thanks were given, or smiles and laughter rippled around the dinner table.

Blessings,

Amanda B.

Don't miss this continuing article - Part 2 coming next week.  Subscribe to our RSS or Email feed!  Be sure to stop by our Facebook page as we journey together in the Thanksgiving Unit Study Adventure.