Our Monday began with Mass at St. Anne's House again. We had recognized the day before a priest-acquaintance of ours who gave the Lenten mission at our parish some months ago and who gave some excellent talks at the national homeschooling conference I attended recently. He had been unable to join us for a spontaneous dinner invitation on Sunday, but said he could visit with us after Monday Mass, so we showed up with bells on!
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| A fairy tale chapel! |
Fr. Kopczynski was able to join us for coffee and pastries at the U----s home in the afternoon, which was so pleasant and edifying. What an unexpected treat for us!
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| Our family with Fr. Sean Kopczynski |
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| Riding bikes in the driveway with dads supervising while moms sat inside, drinking coffee and chatting, with our littlest babies |
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| Two boys and two girls tromping in from adventures in the back three acres of property |
In the evening, I got a real treat: I got to attend the Bradley class which Rebecca teaches! One of the interests that drew us together seven years ago was our love of supporting natural childbirth. We were each students of the Bradley Method of Husband-Coached Natural Childbirth. I went on to become a leader with La Leche League (now I am retired) and Rebecca went on to become a teacher of the Bradley method, and this is her twentieth twelve-week series she has taught so far. She is an absolutely excellent teacher and her students' statistics show that the vast majority of those taught by her go on to have natural childbirths. Not only did I get to attend class, but she presented me as somewhat of a guest speaker, perfect for a retired LLL leader for her class which happened to be the one on Nutrition and Breastfeeding.
I must say, I don't know if I, personally, could withstand my temptation to wordly feelings that would come (to me, anyway!) with teaching at this point in my life. I sat there, an expert! These first-time pregnant couples asked me questions and seriously listened to my answers. After the class was over, several couples came up to me with questions and stood around me in a circle, listening with rapt interest. It has been so long since I was Out There, outside of my little nest with my little children, someone whose opinion was of importance and greatly valued by strangers. I used to charge pretty good money to people who wanted my opinion on all the ways they could improve their writing. Big, Important-in-the-World people asked me and paid me to correct them. Now Young People Who Know Nothing (read: my children) pay me no money (in fact, we spend our money on them!) and think my opinion on what is right and wrong is for the birds. I came away from the class exhilarated but thinking that I could succumb to problematic pride so fast in that situation that it was really good I'm nestled away in my homeschooling home during these years.
In addition to all that, the evening was fun because Rebecca and I got to chat all by ourselves for the hour-ride there and back into Cambridge where she teaches.
How nice to get a little boost once in a while, though. And the best thing about it is that you can see for yourself that your experience and knowledge gained by serving your family still qualifies you to be considered an 'expert' - we don't have to be chasing fame or working for 'the man' to be gaining expertise! We can do it as you say, nestled away in your homeschooling home. :) Of course our work matters aside from that, but it isn't as though you aren't using your brain, as many people might say in criticism of our choices.
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