posted March 26, 2008 04:22 AM         

as the subject matter is about how we homeschool our children in a particular fashion, i mentioned that our circumstances allow us little in the way of purchasing some of the materials, and that space-wise we are limited as well, as we live in a very small apartment. i also mentioned the work at home that i do to improve our financial standing.

well, a day or so later i was talking with an acquaintance (at my son's aikido class) who, out of character, went into great detail about his affluent lifestyle.....his large house, possessions,clubs, et al.

the following day, the same thing.....a woman i had just met talked at great length and detail to me about the enormous affluence she has in her life...with in-depth descriptions of her estate, expensive cars, spas, clubs....

at that point it seemed rather odd.

then, the next day, my son's aikido sensei called to inform me that my son had been kicked out of his aikido class. his excuses were contradictory and lame, and it seemed very hostile. he was quite mean about it too. never was my son disruptive or out of order in class. i observed closely his ability to focus in class, and i was never given a chance to try to resolve any of the (non-existent) issues. one of the kids in the class is at the same level as my son, older by a only a few months, and was not removed from the class.

it seemed very strange, given that we had attended classes regularly for almost 2 months, with no mention of anything out of order. all of our day's rhythms went awry, friendships he had made -- very important to him as a homeschooler -- all crushed. and it was quite hurtful, as though it had been intended that way.

and there was no good way to explain it to him. his first experience of being "kicked out" of an organization, for reasons i can't explain to him.

these events seem linked in some way or another. i don't really understand why an innocuous message on a closed homeschooling board, introducing myself and illustrating our situation, would lead to this strange train of events. my message was not one of complaint or dissatisfaction -- just the very relevant reality of our life, that lends itself to the shape of our homeschooling endeavors.

this still puzzles (and distresses) me in several ways. i'm all for wealth and affluence, i think everyone should be so blessed! i'm not envious of those with more than i though,...in fact i feel very blessed that we have the life that we do. we are working towards good things every day of our lives, and i bless the universe often for giving us what we do have.

posted March 26, 2008 04:48 AM         

omg...protecting them in any and every dimension and way....it's part of your heart, isn't it?

sometimes the world seems so so big.

posted March 26, 2008 05:22 AM         

Zanya, you are far richer than they are, in ways that really matter.

posted March 26, 2008 07:46 AM         

It seems that you and your son are the two above all those people who are so limited in their own materialism.

posted March 26, 2008 08:22 AM         

I remember all to well the pain of the seemingly injustice my children encountered. The swelling of my heart in my chest until it ached and the baseball in my throat choking the tears back.

I thought what a curse for my innocent children to suffer unjustly at society`s whim.

Many years and trials later I see the situations my children encountered as neither a blessing or a curse . Rather a step in the human process for teaching compassion and wisdom.
We do not and can not know what``s around the corner. Only the Creator does. What seems like an ugly injustice today may be the saving grace of tomorrow. Rather than try to figure out how/why it occured, embrace it as a step to something better.Or as a protection from something in the class.

The dismissal could be saving him from further hurt or open up new & wonderful vistas in another direction. He has a wonderful life ahead of him and I promise, he won`t dwell on this and he will succeed, perhaps because of this

I love this story and thought it appropriate to share.

And the Horse Came Back

Once there lived a father and son. They were poor and lived a hard life. One day their only horse ran away. Their fellow villagers lamented saying, "What will you do now? That was your only horse. How will you farm your land. You are so unlucky."

To this the poor farmer said, "We’ll see."
A few days later the farmer’s horse came back bringing with it a wild horse. And the villagers said, "Now you have two horses to work your land. You’re so lucky."
And the farmer said, "We’ll see."

The next day the farmer’s son was taming the wild horse when he was thrown from her back and broke his leg. And the villagers said, "Now who will help you work your land? That is your only son. How unlucky."
And the farmer said, "We’ll see."

A few days later the army came through town to draft all the able-bodied young men to fight in a distant war for their emperor. All the young men of the village, except for the poor farmer’s injured boy, were taken away. And as the villagers watched as their children were taken away they looked at the poor farmer and his boy and said, "You’re so lucky."

And the former said, "We’ll see." "

Life is an adventure and we really don`t know what tomorrow brings us; live it with joy and grace and "we`ll see"

Hugs to your babe!

love,

------------------
~
What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world is immortal"~

posted March 27, 2008 01:28 AM         

robyn ~ kind of you to offer positive support for our homeschooling efforts. that is rare indeed. we are devoted homeschoolers for a myriad of different reasons...primarily so that my babe can pursue a life of authentic love of learning, so that he can develop, in a profound way and in depth, the essence of who he is.