It took me about a month to process the unexpected shift in students at The Warthog School. It was a whirlwind that lifted our son, on excited yet anxious wings, to his new school this past January. Never have I seen someone so rise to the question we pose every blue moon, "What would you do just once in a blue moon?" A boy who vowed never to step foot into a classroom again suddenly dreamed up a dream that left us breathless. Like everything about him the transition was intense. Yet he declared and delivered on his dream. He is now a proud and happy member of our local village school. Winter's quickening has passed and in its place I quite literally see spring in his step. He is alight with inspiration, readiness, passion, and joyousness.
After he flew our nest I spent about two weeks working on "what comes next" for me. My first action item was to begin my Raising The Red Tent blog. It is a project that I have patiently waited for the opportunity to embrace. Our son opened a door out into the world so I dashed out behind him. It was a glorious and indulgent two weeks of engagement. I wrote, I created intentions, I sent invitations, I met with other moms to talk about the vision... I felt aligned with authentic self and purpose in this new (yet familiar) direction. It was a late January flurry of excitement so enchanting that I forgot to close the door behind me. And, as winter's wind will do, she gusted an unexpected guest seeking shelter back through the threshold of The Warthog School. Before I could blink, and taking me by complete surprise, my next student had arrived. Our daughter was standing in front of me with her heels dug in.
"It's my turn." She said with eyes that expected compliance.
Although I felt the tug of everything else I was just beginning there was no way to deny or ignore it. Yes. Absolutely. It's her turn.
It's her turn in our family. It's Her turn in our culture.
Growing up alongside a sibling with behavioral special needs I've tracked the signs of what I know she's at high risk for: second fiddle. I've been on the look out for the tell tale signs of self-diagnosed less-importance. Accommodation. Stuffing of needs. Over-compliance. The "It's OK, it doesn't matter" approach to conflict resolution. She's got a blush of them all already which made her defiant stand a breath of fresh air. I'm relieved that she is ready to be first chair.
And with that, The Warthog School was called back into session for spring quarter. We are already off and running and you can follow all of our adventures in holistic, nature-based learning here. If you do, you will hit a weekly intersection of our two blogs. We're calling it Mystery School Mondays and it's where The Warthog School overlaps Raising The Red Tent.
Homeschool is giving us an unexpected chance to once weekly go deep for the day (rather than just an hour) into a subject that we all need to understand now more than ever - the mystery and wonders of the feminine.
There is a nesting nature* to this pairing that will long keep me inspired. The Warthog School was originally born under The Red Tent. When my children were small and I was still working full-time at The Red Tent I began The Warthog School as a curriculum that would supplement my children's lives with the ecoliteracy and biophilia. I couldn't find what they needed so I started creating it. Like my children, The Warthog School was quite literally born under The Red Tent.
When E.P.'s learning needs demanded that The Warthog School become a full-time homeschool this nesting flipped. My passion for all things red tent had to be downsized and put in storage in my heart while we allowed The Warthog School to unfurl into a full-fledged homeschool adventure. I had to retire from what I knew, recovery, and jump into something new - prevention. While homeschooling our son I jotted notes about my old passion, "How will I raise a red tent for my daughter?" And, as the years ticked on, "When?"
Mystery School Mondays are answering those questions for me. I am raising a red tent for my daughter, now, by putting it right on her campus. Once weekly the Warthog School will be something that I believe our culture has sorely missed - a women's mystery school. A time to marvel together about "girl power" and all the positive ways we can direct our future as women.
*"Nesting Nature" became the first mystery to explore on our new Monday studies...
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