For Freedom.

Written by Claudia

We are official (and legal) home schoolers as of a few days ago. We went to the School District and signed the papers. On the form it asked, "Reasons for homeschooling?" I simply wrote "Freedom".

"What does that mean?" one might ask. I'll tell you what I meant by it...

It meant by choosing to home school our children, I feel we are giving them the absolute freedom to think, to be, and to become. I believe this "freedom" also allows one to imagine, to explore, and to discover and allows free thinking which, I believe, will help preserve America's own freedoms.

I believe there's individuality to an extent within the school system. But so many of these precious children, these "tweens", and teenagers come away thinking that what you wear and what social group you're accepted into (or are the leader of) is what is most important. That THINGS, GROUPS, or POSITIONS are what is most important.

From what I've observed and experienced, education is easily and clearly overshadowed by other things instinctively focused on as one tries to survive within a schools social realm. The grade game is easily picked up on and thus one's education mainly becomes temporarily memorizing facts to be stored (and afterward forgotten) for the upcoming test. Fortunately every once in a while a good teacher (one who actually notices a student on a personal level) and a subject one is interested in, intertwine, and one truly begins to learn a subject. Unfortunately though, drudgery is normally the case as one "gains an education".

I believe in the individual, the American! I have come to realize that a person can develop into something wonderful, unique, and genuine (not to mention capable) when given privacy and solitude and the support of mentors (parents) - when given the freedom. Longing for freedom, seems to me, to be a natural yearning when one is confined to a certain area at a certain time and told what to do.

I believe that we still progress, through learning, in the life after this. Is this what it will be like there?...Most of infinity sitting at a desk having a teacher talk and talk. It's where we'll have to be even if it doesn't interest us in the least. If it does interest us, bbrrrrrrrrrring! too bad, move on to the next room. Tests will be thrown at us to tell us whether we know enough, whether we're worth anything... and if we don't get a good "GPA" well then...we don't deserve to progress and we're not as good as our neighbor.

Let me tell you what I think it will be like.

We will delve in our own education - out of choice. We will earnestly seek mentors who are learned in our subject of interest. Those who are learning from a mentor will sit round him/her in sincere interest listening to what he/she is saying, deeply drinking in knowledge, wisdom, welcoming education. Great discussions will take place. Pure learning will be enjoyed.

Why do we love it so much? Because we want it. I can't see a loving, all-knowing, all-caring, God making his children, making us, learn what it is HE feels we need to learn in order to progress. He'll let us figure it out on our own as we continually study, read, (yes, I believe there will be books in heaven) and seek knowledgeable mentors for our own righteously personal purposes.

There's a little piece of heaven I believe we can have on earth and it can be summed up in one word:

Freedom.

Freedom to think. Freedom to be. Freedom to become.