Your Abundant-Life Homeschool Resource

Issue 24 - October, 2003

Dear Friends,

Have you ever done something you never thought possible? (Like homeschooling your children for instance?) Well, have I got a story for you!

When we first moved to the Black Hills of South Dakota, I began to hear people talk about Harney Peak. At elevation 7242 feet, it is actually the tallest peak east of the Rockies all the way to France. And just to top it off, so to say, there sits a man-made building of stone which looks a wee bit like a miniature castle.

Ok. It’s cool, it’s interesting, it’s worth seeing. Point taken. But remember that no matter who you are, no matter what you desire, no matter how long you’ve thought about it in your easy chair, the only way to see the top is to hike - no easy shortcuts, no auto-routes, no elevators, escalators, or cable cars.

Hmm. I had both mountaintop aspirations and an overfed, underworked body.

Wait!!!! Don’t quit reading yet!!!! This is not one of those make-you-feel-guilty-about-not-exercising stories... I promise. It is really and truly a homeschool adventure. You just have to give it a few more moments.

Whew. That was close. Now, back to our story.

So, though I looked dreamingly at photos, and tried to imagine myself magically transported to the top, I never seriously considered trying to do a four-hour, six-mile hike... Until recently. Admittedly, I’ve been working hard for a year trying to get some strength, some endurance, (some better dress sizes) by working out. But I hadn’t thought about doing anything else until one autumn afternoon a few weeks ago. At a certain point along the drive to Mt. Rushmore, there is a place to park and “ooh” and “ahh” over the vista, AND go clambering up some really tall boulders and rocks if you are an energetic teenager or mountain goat. It had never before occurred to me that I might go clambering too, but, suddenly, I thought, “Why not?” Clambering, scampering, scrambling up the rocks was a watershed moment.

“Bill, this is incredible! Look at the view from up here!!”

Big smile. Proud husband.

And all of a sudden, with the taste of newfound freedom in my bones, it dawned on me that climbing Harney Peak might be possible after all.

Adventure: The possibility of seeing what only can be seen by those who do the work. Trepidation: “Can I really do this?” Back door: “We’ll just go as far as you can go, and if we need to turn back, that’s ok.”

Then I made the mistake of telling a friend that I was going to climb Harney Peak. “Oh, Diana, I’ve heard that that is REALLY hard!!!”

Poof. Balloon popped. Full measure of fear and insecurity. However, my beloved husband didn’t let those fears dissuade “us.”

“Let’s just go try.”

Ok. It was a beautiful day for a drive through the hills, even if nothing else happened--nothing ventured, nothing gained. I could probably walk for thirty minutes anyway.

And then, without any more delay, we were at the parking lot for the trailhead. Gulp. Evidently, we were really going to do this. At least, start doing this.

About 50 yards up the trail is a huge, intimidating sign. “This is a moderately difficult six mile hike. This hike will take 4-5 hours. WARNING....” Double gulp.

I have NEVER walked 4-5 hours straight. I ALWAYS take warning signs seriously. I can’t imagine how hard a MODERATELY DIFFICULT hike will be. Triple Gulp.

It seemed possible, however, to take the next step. After all, we had already walked 50 yards to the sign. In for a penny, in for a pound.

Step. Step. Step. Breathe. Step. Step. You know what? The trees were really pretty on this part of the walk. Breathe deep. Wow! Listen to how quiet it is here. I haven’t heard this kind of quiet, where you can actually hear the gentle whisper of the wind in the leaves, for a long time. Peace. Breathe. Step. Step. Step.

“Bill, this is really cool. We’re really doing it!” Oops. Steep climb. Stop: Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Step. Step. Step.

Hmm. This novice hiker began to learn that there was really no problem with the wise prescription of stopping, as needed, to catch one’s breath. In fact, at the moment of stopping, I was able to really feast my eyes on the view that became increasingly apparent.

Now, I have to tell you that we were not the fastest hikers on the trail. Not even close. Actually, we were passed several times by energetic folks in better shape and a greater hurry than us. But, I figured the goal wasn’t to be the first up, it was simply to get there.

And so it continued. Bill and I chatted, enjoyed the scenery, stopped to do some serious breathing, and in general, had a wonderful time. About an hour and a half into the hike, I realized that I was totally committed to getting to the top. And with that realization come the understanding that when you have a goal in mind, it makes working for a long time much more endurable and even enjoyable. In fact, the closer I got to the top of Harney Peak, the steeper and rockier it became, but that didn’t compare with the magnificent views and the increasing joy of realizing that we were actually going to summit.

Suddenly, there it was! The man-made tower I had only seen in pictures was right in front of me!! With tears welling up inside of me, we climbed up the last part of the hike to attain the goal. Much to my amazement, there were lots of people up there!!! A youth group, several families, couples, dogs, you name it, we were all up there enjoying the breathtaking view. And I realized that though it had felt like we were all alone, there were actually lots of folks going the same direction we were. Party!!! Celebrate!!! We made it!!! Time for lunch.

Going down was a lot faster, made doubly so by the exhilaration of having actually accomplished what had only been a dream. We laughed all the way home, calling our children at university to tell them what their mother had done. Joy. Satisfaction. Anticipation of the next hike. End of day.

About halfway to the top of Harney Peak, the Lord began to show me the incredible similarity between what we were doing that day and what homeschooling parents do over a child’s lifetime.

• All of us, if we are honest, begin homeschooling with fear and trepidation: “Can I possibly do this?”

• Most of us have had well-meaning friends and family say, “Oh, I have heard that that is REALLY hard!” or “Are you out of your mind????”

• Most of us struggle a lot in the beginning, trying to figure out how one does this, as others go zipping by at a seemingly effortless pace.

• Many of us have learned, the hard way, that if we try to keep up with the crowd, we’ll become totally exhausted and perhaps even give up.

• All of us have felt like we were the only ones climbing this mountain, and yet, if we had eagle’s wings, we’d observe that there are many, many fellow travelers on this path.

• For those who are getting closer to the summit, we are overcoming a lot steeper slopes and rockier paths (high schooling homeschoolers is not as easy - but the view is spectacular!)

If you can identify with this, I have a few lessons to share that I learned at the summit:

#1) Keep going. Stop when you need to. Take a break to enjoy the view and eat an apple. (Translation: don’t make a schedule that becomes so burdensome that you quit. Instead, take a day off to go play with your children. Read a funny book, like Hank the Cowdog. Get some joke books from the library, and have a joke-marathon. Go to the zoo. Walk in the park. Play frisbee. Relax. It makes the next part of the hike not only possible, but enjoyable.)

#2) Don’t try to keep up with Jones’. They don’t have your particular children. They don’t have your specific needs. They aren’t at the same place as you. (Pace your family’s study to accommodate your children. If it takes twice as long to learn multiplication tables, but they LOVE doing multiplication and they do it with ease, the extra time was well spent!)

#3) Keep the goal in mind. Write it down and put it on the refrigerator. To keep the vision fresh, do some things like meeting some wonderful young adults who have been homeschooled. Ask the Lord for a fresh perspective of where you are heading in this adventure. Know that it is not just about working and working and working and working without a goal in sight - that will wear you down and destroy your joy in the journey.

#4) Recognize that though you feel alone, you’re not. Connect with a support group, or start your own. Attend a homeschool conference or convention whether it has dozens or thousands - it will be such a boost to know there are others walking this path with you. Sharing about “How much longer is it to the top?” and “Is it worth it?” will bring great camaraderie and encouragement.

#5) Take a camera! Take pictures! Capture the reality of what you have accomplished!! At each stopping point, make a memorial of what has been done, and then celebrate!!! “Johnny has learned to read! Mary has memorized her multiplication tables! Michael has written a research paper! Isaac has graduated from our high school!” Whatever it is, you need to recognize that you are seeing something that only those who actually hike the path get to see. There are no shortcuts, no armchair transports, no elevators, escalators, or cable cars to the top.

Congratulations! You are on the path to the most amazing sights you can imagine, the most joy-filled adventure on earth...

Blessings,
Diana

---