Gotta Know your Goals

     About teaching: it has such a draw.  I like teaching, and I like doing something that is rewarding.
     But just because I can, does not mean I ought to do it.  A person's got to know her goals.  If my goal is a certain kind of family relationship, which it is, then teaching as enrichment, yes.  But teaching instead of family, no.
     Even one class during the summer program is something I should not do: I NEED A BREAK.  By the time the summer comes, I need to recover. Working instead of recovering from the school year would be to squander a gorgeous opportunity to refresh for the next year.  Just because teaching has an allure, does not mean that it is right.
     Homeschooling is H.A.R.D.  It is so hard that I have been unsure whether or how long I can continue.  But as soon as I travel very far down that road, wondering about putting them all in school, I realize that we have something special, and I know that part of that "specialness"is because of homeschooling.  I think the benefits will come for the duration of my adulthood as well as those of our children: they will have a bond with Ron and me that is just irreplaceable.
     That is my goal: to have given myself as completely as possible to my family relationships.  It is a reflection of the Trinity, it is the pursuit of divine love, and as such, is something that lasts past death.  If teaching or giving a presentation or writing something for the benefit of someone else can be done in a small way that does not interfere with that pursuit, then I would enjoy it.  But as soon as I am overextended, then I am hurting those relationships, my pursuit and myself, and as attractive as it might have been, it is just not a good option.  You gotta know your goals!