Dear Mom,

Your lovely and sincere letter speaks to the intimate struggles that many wonderful, holy and docile women have traveled at one time or another. Isn't it amazing how much we pour our selves out for the needs of our children, marriages and the spiritual future that we pray to prepare for them as we journey? During this entire labor of love we may face such obstacles and challenges that our lives feel more like Job experiences than fruitful works of faith. I receive letters from moms who are approximately your age. Faithful women who have worked through many challenges and continue to work with steadfast hearts. Why does it seem that when we are the most tired the normal challenges become almost impossible to overcome within our abilities to reason an answer or a way out? Marriage and childrearing is quite a sacrificial labor.

I will tell you a story that I have never shared with anyone before. When I announced my engagement to my fellow nurses on duty that particular night so many years ago, I received the anticipated congratulations and one very strange response from an older nurse. She was a kind and loving person, a mentor to all of us who were so 'green' in the ways of medicine. She took me in her arms, hugged me tightly, and said she was so happy for me. Then she teared up and said that she would keep me close in prayer all her life, 'because marriage when done right will be the hardest work you will ever offer up to the Lord.'  Now on the other side of those years I understand why she felt such emotion for me, a very young nurse who was so clueless about the journey I was about to enter. I have never regretted being married and having a family and I know that it has been the Lord who has taken me from that encounter with a wise woman of faith to today as I continue to work through the many trials and challenges that the generosity of the Lord allows.

I would take one week and clear my head if I were you.  Spend quiet moments in the church in front of the Tabernacle and in Eucharistic Adoration (if that is possible). Allow the Lord to bathe you clean of all the anxiety and worries that are bombarding your spirit at this time. Let Him have His way in all things and in all circumstances. Take a few moments on the first  morning of the week to write down the challenges that you feel are the most pressing with regard to your family and the education of your dear girls. Each evening review the list and eliminate at least one item. Do this each evening for one week. At the end of the week you will have a doable list of challenges. Perhaps you will feel that their math skills are the most pressing, or perhaps their reading comprehension or language arts skills are the challenges that need immediate addressing.

Pray for the inspiration that is of the Holy Spirit to tackle the list with resolve and peaceful determination. Remember that as much as you love your girls, your love is surely pale in comparison to the great love the Lord has for them. I think that you will find that the most difficult part of a hard journey is the decision to start the journey. Each morning I swim several laps in the pool. The hardest part of the swim, is the first stroke. I know that I am going to be in the pool for a certain amount of time. I do not swim very fast but I swim steady. Think about the time in your marriage that you had to begin to repair something that was needing attention. The first step was the hardest. Because the first step is the always the hardest, the good Jesus floods our ailing and timid spirits with graces sufficient to begin. The part of you that wants to 'cry and  give up' is the precious part of your spirit that the dear sweet Jesus tenderly accepts and holds so close to His Sacred Heart. This is the part of your spirit that Jesus will empower with His own strength. His own strength!, imagine.

CHC materials are geared for the family. They are written in such a way that a parent can easily see at a glance those subjects that are core and need to be addressed frequently and with scheduled diligence. However the core list is a doable list and makes for a complete and well rounded education. Financially it is a sound practice to approach homeschooling in this manner. I must shop on a very tight budget (most homeschooling families are in similar situations) therefore I do not want to spend money for materials that are not totally necessary. (However as money and inclination collide I enjoy adding non core subjects to our daily work.) I use the library and resources that are affordable. I did like you did in certain seasons in my life and wrote my own curriculum. Lately I am weary of this practice. Though it is perfectly fine, I want my curriculum prepared for me. I want to be able to see the progression for an entire school year. I believe that where my girls are at this time, they too want to see the year laid out. It helps to make them more culpable for the amount of work that I am expecting. If you think that math is the biggest challenge that you are facing then begin this summer before the start of the formal school year. Have your girls do math studies at their skill level. This is important, as math is one of those subjects where practice makes for confidence in performance. 

Speak candidly with your girls and truthfully access their ability. It may be that a math tutor over the summer will serve you well. Look for a fellow homeschooling mom who would appreciate a little extra income (egg money) to help your dear girls. Look at your challenges in small doable goals. This is healthier and more fruitful than seeing a long column of failures. All children learn. Even the most profoundly challenged child learns.  Jesus knows the abilities and the challenges of your dear girls. He created them. Every child has been created by an All Mighty and All Loving Lord who has left His mark upon the child. You were gifted with these dear girls because Jesus wanted the best for them: you.

Let us pray together a Hail Mary and offer up our struggles for those moms who are facing physical and emotional danger as a result of war, disaster, and disease. Let us bind our weary spirits to these dear sisters of the Father who loved and created them. Let us send them our prayers as we offer up the gift of our challenges worked through the Lord. Let us pray for the strength and courage that is of the Lord. Go forward. I admire you greatly. You are a Proverbs woman (a bit tired and weary but every bit a treasure for your family).

Sending out a prayer,

Rita Munn