Friday, December 17, 2010

the mess and the village

the mess.
the mess of books on and off of the bookshelves. the mess of sewing stuff under the stairs. the mess of papers on the desk. the mountains of laundry both in front of the machine and on the couch. the mess of beads and jewelry parts in the corner. the mess of yarn and various crocheting projects beside the couch. the mess of paints and canvases by the table. guitars on the walls, drums in the living room.
Oh the mess!


the mess that is unschooling.
Why do I say this?


because for us, and i suspect a whole lot of other unschoolers,
this is what the unschooling environment looks like.

projects and supplies for projects everywhere.
the mess is irritating at times, overwhelming at others; but mostly,
the mess is a sign of learning!

judging by the mess... boy, are we learning a lot!

the learning that is everywhere and in so many forms.
And so mostly...
i have made peace with the mess because it is just part of where we are at as a family, right now.

So i just wanted to put that out there...
for families who are already unschooling or who are thinking of unschooling.

the mess is inevitable.
AND it will be okay.
MESS is patient, it will wait.
the mess will be better some days and worse others.
it will be organized mess some of the time.
the mess will always be there.
i am closer to being at peace with it;
and with that comes freedom and appreciation.

the realization that it is a trade worth making.
Mess in exchange for learning.
mess in exchange for time spent with my children,
creating, being inspired, exploring.

the mess is worth it.


the village.
"it takes a village to raise a child".
the village is something i am thankful for.
and feeling more and more appreciative for everyday.
the village is full of people and family that have been gracious enough to be a positive, supportive influence in our lives.
the village says to my daughter: "i see your gifts of creativity"... "i see you would like to learn how to swim- i can help you with that"... "i will help you to sew"...
"i am here to help"....

Our village is full of wise women who are willing to share, and mentor.
Our village is full of hugs.
I am hopeful that our village will continue to be full of support when we encounter challenges too.
I hope our village will be empathetic and non-judgmental
as we ALL have our own mountains to climb.

Feeling thankful for the beautiful village that we get to be a part of.