Friday, July 26, 2013

Never say Never

Once upon a time a newly married couple were in college together. Both were pursuing teaching, one in music, one in social studies. They dreamed of the days when they would be teaching together. They'd have their own little family. They'd teach in the same school district their kids attended. They would be on the same schedule with  the same days off. And summer. Oh they had big plans for summer. The plans involved an RV and the time to see all the beautiful places in this country.

Time at college was complete, and the couple found that public school teaching was not all they dreamed. The man looked at other careers. The woman continued to teach for a time, but found it hard to leave the new baby with babysitters, and with the birth of their second child, the woman also left the teaching profession.

When their oldest child was school age, the choice of public schooling was not appealing in their location. The choice of private schooling was not even considered because of cost. So, it was decided homeschooling was the way to go for the time being.

The couple and their growing family, third baby had arrived and fourth on the way, had the opportunity to move out of state with family. The new home was out in the country with plenty of space for gardens, animals, and kids to run. The man found a job that seemed a perfect fit for him, and the couple moved. A few months later the new baby had arrived.


By this time homeschooling was very much a part of this family's life. They loved it, and the kids learned from books and learned from life, hard work, and all that comes with raising animals and gardens for your family. The man worked long hours, yet finances were still a struggle, and the family looked for ways to make all the things that were important to them fit with the mundane things of this life.

The woman worked a part time job for a number of years. That was a help, but she worked when the man was home and family time suffered. The little farm grew and began to sell at farmers markets. The family hoped to create income flow there, but kept tripping over the same hurdle. The farm need to grow a little more. It needed more muscle, and more time. The man, working 50-60 hours a week, just wasn't around enough. The family missed him, and the farm suffered.

Then a friend recommended the man for a teaching position at a private school. The couple thought, "This could be the answer to our time problem." At the same time, knowing private school pay scales, wondered how they could make that work financially. The private school asked the man, "Your wife doesn't teach does she? We are looking for a second grade teacher."

The couple were taken a back by the opportunity in front of them. This is not exactly what they had in mind. This was not their plan, yet, in so many ways it seemed so right. It took them back to the dreams of their early marriage. The family, together, on the same schedule and the same calendar. Instead of summers travelling, summers would be spent together working on the farm. The financial piece was there. The time piece was there. The family piece was there. It seemed a perfect fit.


The family is embarking on a new journey, and a huge change. Some of the younger members have a little less peace about the change than the man and the woman. The realm of school is unknown to them. The man and woman are confident the children will thrive once the ball gets rolling.

This life is full of surprises. Dreams that were once put on a shelf to gather dust sometimes find their way back to the realm of possibilities. They don't always look exactly how you expected, they rarely happen on the schedule you plan, but they do happen often when you least expect it.

8 comments:

  1. Congratulations! Surely, you and Tim will succeed at this change much like the other challenges you've conquered over the years.

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  2. So happy for you. Congratulations! Somehow knew something was going on with you. Best wishes and I hope we at least get to see you and the kids before we move away from WV.

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  3. I am very excited for you. I hope the dream will be everything you hoped it would be! Our family has grown and changed and we all seem to grow and change with it, too.

    Meredith

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  4. Big changes!!!

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  5. Very best wishes!

    ~Have a lovely day!

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  6. Dinah Appleton7/26/13, 2:39 PM

    Excited for your family. Wishing you ALL the best on this new journey.
    Dinah

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  7. How exciting!! I am thrilled to hear your news. Will be praying for your fam as you undergo changes. Embrace the adventure.

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  8. Exciting news! I am sure the children will adjust to school easily, especially once they start to make friends. Good luck!

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