What I said

Here is what I said in my three-minute interview during this morning’s church service.

What do you do?

Well, I homeschool my children and I try to keep the home running as smoothly as possible, but really, I just see all that as part of being a parent. I’m a mother.

What challenges (and joys) are you facing?

For me, getting to hang out with the people I love the most, day in and day out, is a wonderful gift but it can also be hard. Because it’s with the people that I love the most that I can also get the most angry, have the most clashes, get the most disgusted. In other words, I live in the raw, with my personal flaws—my short-temper, sharp tongue, selfishness—smack up in front of my face. Some other things that are hard for me are:

*finding a balance between doing what I want and what my kids need (or want).
*learning how to delight in my children, to be present to them.
*discerning the line between letting them just be and pushing them harder.
*learning to listen more and talk less.
*being consistent.

At home all day, I don’t get to perform and put on airs, and if I do, my bluff gets called. This can be frustrating, but it’s also grounding.

How can CMC support you in this everyday ministry?

Already I, as a parent, feel supported. It’s the little things. The other week we were short one chair in our row and Nancy and Paul invited Nicholas to sit with them. Tina gave us a big box of old books and tapes, providing my kids with—when I pulled it out for them—two solid hours of entertainment and a blessedly quiet house. When the kids have been in the throes of illnesses, Sue, Laura, Vi, Ann, and Hedy have all fielded our questions. Johann and Harold have been mentoring Jonathan. Alisha and Anna Maria are teaching Rebecca to sew and knit. And on it goes. My children are happy in this place. This is a huge gift and comfort.

Also, the words of support and encouragement I’ve received from so many of you—from Jennifer, Keith, Ruth, Marlin, Ted, Valerie, Michael Ann, Maria, David, etc—have buoyed me up, challenged me, and given me something to live up to. In other words, your encouragement helps to keep me on an even keel with my kids.

(My shoes matched. I triple-checked.)