Learning Is A Way Of Life–Embrace Each Chapter

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This last week can best be characterized as “chaotic” for my family and me. We decided to make a (perhaps)temporary move from WI to TN. We were not well prepared. Transporting most of our possessions, our 4 children, 4 dogs, and 2 kittens into a complete fixer-upper, has proven so much more challenging than any of us could have foreseen. We are in our new home now. No tv or internet. We had not predicted the fact that internet service would not be available here. However, that is what we now have to learn to deal with. This is why I haven’t been able to make a new blog post in a while. Thankfully, we found a new library near our home, so we are now going to learn to live on a schedule that includes many trips to the library(with free wi-fi) each week. This time to completely unplug was not planned or anticipated, but it is becoming a learning experience for all of us. It’s been a great reminder for me that “learning is a way of life”.

I cannot even begin to count all the things we have learned so far. My 16 yr old was able to coordinate to have our dogs transported. He set it all up with the gentleman and a kennel local to the area where we were moving to. My son made all the phone calls(and there were a lot of them!). He set up the day and time and gave the necessary paperwork to the transporter to drive them to the kennel. Of course, we didn’t have the necessary paperwork so my 18 yr old son contacted our home veterinarian and explained to him what was going on, what we needed, and how quickly we needed it. He then went and retrieved all of the paperwork. It all went so smoothly, even though it was stressful. The crazy part for me was the fact that I didn’t do a thing. I just sat back and let them handle it.

My oldest daughter found us a hotel near our new home to stay in the first couple of nights, that would allow us to bring our kittens. She made the reservations and took the time to call and coordinate with them explaining that we would be arriving well after midnight(wound up being 4 am). I once again just sat back and did nothing. I was given the address and drove us the 12+ hours to get there, but everything was all set and went smoothly.

My 16 yr old son also took it upon himself to contract a pod to transport all of our belongings. He set it all up and took care of everything. We chose a very small pod since we don’t know yet if this move is temporary or permanent, so we chose not to bring much with us. We had to go through everything in our lives and simplify like crazy, only bringing necessities. It’s amazing how many items you accumulate through the years that you really don’t need. This has been eye-opening for all of us. Sometimes less really is more. The only mistake he made in coordinating it all was that the pod will not be delivered to our new home for 2 weeks. By the time he found this out, there was nothing we could do. So we are in our new home with pretty much just a duffel bag of clothes and a backpack of items apiece. This is proving quite interesting. Life will become so much simpler when we have our pod here. You don’t realize just how much you appreciate some of the things you need(like a crockpot or a can opener or a bowl) until you have to go without them for a period of time.

As I type this, my sons and husband have torn apart the laundry room and are putting in new walls and a floor. Once again, my only job is to drive them(and of course pay) to the home improvement stores to purchase what is needed.

Earlier today, they were able to install a new mailbox so we can finally begin to receive mail. This was nothing they have ever done before, but they read how to do it, and did it. Being able to receive mail makes me so much more content.

We are not a “handy” family, but we are learning as we go. I’m very thankful for our unschooling lifestyle as these next few months will definitely not replicate what a typical high school senior, junior and a 5th grader will be studying. For us, this will definitely be a chapter on “learning is a way of life”. We’ll be learning as we go. I know many lessons will be learned from these mistakes. I’m not looking forward to all of these circumstances, but I am excited to experience this adventure with my husband and children.

Being unplugged has had it’s own set of advantages. We all sit in the living room and stare at each other a lot more often than we have in the past. To quell the boredom, we have played board games, cards, danced, sung, and talked. We feel like we are living in the dark ages, yet no one is complaining.

I know that this challenge of learning to accept the chapter I am currently in, no matter what, is not going to be easy. Just as last year, I did not anticipate losing my mom and brother, this is not how I thought we’d be spending the boys’ last high school years, but it is what is happening. I am choosing to let go of the expectations that I had placed on myself, and embrace the chapter and adventure we are experiencing.

No matter what chapter you are currently experiencing, embrace it. The last thing any of us need to do is set unrealistic expectations of ourselves. Sometimes, as parents, we tend to expect too much of ourselves. We tend to get down on ourselves when we aren’t teaching our children as we think we need to be. Our children are always learning. It’s ok for them to learn by experiencing real life. So, if you are in the midst of a difficult chapter in your life, and you are feeling that you are letting your children down, chances are, you are wrong. Embrace the chapter you are currently in and remember:
LEARNING IS A WAY OF LIFE

Check out another encouraging blog post:

https://learningisawayoflife.com/one-of-those-days/