A few days ago I realized I had not submitted my monthly HOTM article.  Not only that but I had not finished my monthly HOTM article.  Honestly? I had not even begun to think about my monthly HOTM article.  I quickly jotted off a note to my “boss” (HA!) and let her know that life had taken a huge swing at me and although I ducked, and it missed, I was left a bit off balance.

You see.  In October one of my Aunt’s died.  After I received the phone call regarding my Aunt I hung up the phone and sobs wracked my body.  I pushed aside the Algebra I was explaining to my daughter, put away the Abascus my 7 year old was using and called it a day.

At the news that my Aunt had died I knew my parents would be taking a plane in this general direction.  I wondered if they would stop by Oklahoma after their stay in Arkansas and they quickly affirmed that they would be here for two weeks.  After I hung up the phone that day I pulled out the books I had pushed aside the day before and stated that the grandparents were on their way and we needed to try to get some extra work done so we could relax while they visited.

From one extreme to the other the kids were ready and rearing to go.  Nary a glance passed my way the day I shoved the books in the cabinet and wiped away tears and with undefinable action they set to work the following day doubling and tripling up on studies in preparation for a grandparently visit.

Just as quickly as they set about completing extra work they also set out helping me prep the house.  My daughter attacked her room with a vengeance (and with a paintbrush!), cleaned her closet and made space for not only my parents but also an Aunt and Uncle who would be here for a day or two.  My son’s cleaned their room, making space for their sister, stripping the extra bed and washing the sheets.

And one day, a couple of weeks ago, we sat in eager anticipation for our extended family.  We rushed to welcome them all and hug them.  For two weeks we sat on the front porch swinging in the cool mornings and watched the lightning storms from the back yard deep into the nights.

There may not have been a lot of “book learning” over the last few weeks, but any worries went away one day when, upon seeing his grandmother crying my 10 year old son walked up to her and asked “What’s wrong Mamaw?” She answered that she missed her sister.  He quickly consoled her, told her he was sorry and then replied “But isn’t it kind of better that she died?  She doesn’t hurt anymore.”

And I realized that even without the Pre-algebra and Science studies my kids were learning a lot about life.

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