The movie for the night was Princess Mononoke. There is a line early on that struck me as… well… amazing. Now keep in mind it is a TRANSLATION, but the main characters (Ashitake) explains his showing up at the Ironworks village as being there “to see with eyes unclouded“… To not be motivated by rage, or hatred, to see what is there and not what is told or shown.Can we come to life from that viewpoint? Can we see other’s choices and motivations without putting our own judgement and standards first? Can you see MY choices and life plan as unique to me and not as a threat to your own or a hindrance?
Every day more and more I am reminded how different we all are. Especially now that I am a total fish out of water in a country with major differences to what, for the entirety of my life previous I considered the norm. I have talked to other parents (both sides of the border) who homeschool differently than I do, parents who wish they could, others who have absolutely no interest in considering the option… Now how does that affect my choices and my life? Well… if I look at it with my eyes unclouded it does nothing but enhance my life.
That mom who never ever planned to homeschool does teach her kids things, she has ideas that are helpful. That mom who totally unschools… she has amazing ideas for discipline or spontaneous education… and that parent who wishes she could does more than she things and is a huge support.
Brave Writer had some amazing advice on her blog (well as usual but still…) about who is in charge of you, your life and your homeschool (you can read her entire post HERE titled You’re In Charge of You)…
YOUR standards are the boss of you.
Your vision.
Your children.
Your beliefs about education.
Your aspirations for your family.
Your flexibility and your rigidity.
Your weaknesses and your strengths.
Your joys and your personal pains.
Your vision and your limited sight.This is YOUR homeschool.
YOU ARE THE BOSS OF YOU.
You get to have the homeschool you choose. In fact, you already DO have the homeschool you choose.
Embrace it.
Love it.
Feed it brownies.
Share it confidently.
Live it boldly.You do you.
Why not? No one else can.
Now, like Princess Mononoke, I think you can extrapolate from this advice from different areas in your life. Ok, so you don’t homeschool… but who is in charge of your heart? I think the answer is the same…
Here in the United States the current debate seems to circulate around same sex marriages… let’s look at that issue from these two quotes’ point of view: When you look at the issue of two people, in love with each other and willing to commit to each other for life, with eyes unclouded of hatred or preconceived notions… what say should I truly have over their proclamation of love? And in return how much should they have over mine? Of course this is a CONTROVERSIAL issue so please keep in mind… your opinion, my opinion… they are our own and should not cause strife.
When I look at my new life here in the States from these two quotes I see that I must simply take control of my life and go forward. That I need to keep what is best from my past and then see the world as it is for the future. Not as “not Canadian”… though I will always have that comparison to deal with. I wonder how our children see the world, as out of anyone… THEY are the ones who see things as they are!
Taa—daaa here we are!
