Not long ago, I bumped into this note. Perhaps you can relate:
Freedom. Isn’t that why we homeschool? Isn’t that why entrepreneurship is such a sexy ‘lil beast? Isn’t this all about freedom in simplicity and ease?
Then, last week happened, and I realized that freedom isn’t a given anymore.
Last Wednesday (the Wednesday where America shifted), we were trapped at home because our house was getting painted, and they had to have the front door open. We did school with the windows taped up as we listened to the painters sing outside (they were fantastic). When school was done, I snuck away for a minute to drop my boys off at a friend’s house down the road, and came back to let the painters (and 5,000 flies) inside as they painted our front door the richest, most beautiful espresso bean brown.
After a few hours, I picked the boys back up and came home. The day was done, and we were in freeplay/relaxation mode, so I opened my phone to grab the dinner recipe I’d planned for the day. It just so happened to be on Instagram (love this account for meal ideas!), and then I saw it.
I witnessed a public assassination of Charlie Kirk, a person I’ve admired for years.
Suddenly, that simple day full of the freedoms to learn, work, and live how we want felt shattered.
I felt shattered.
Humans aren’t built to witness a murder, and then seconds later start dinner, pay the painters, and put on a smile for their kids.
It has taken me some time to process it all, and in that time I’ve fell even more silent. But since last Wednesday, that silence has felt so wrong.
Yesterday morning, I voice-noted a friend of mine, letting her know I was going to share my personal positions. This particular friend doesn’t align with me politically and yet her response was, “I love ALL of you. And anyone worth beans will love all of you too. You’re teaching your kids that showing up as yourself is important.”
Boy was she right!
I feel exposed coming out publicly as a conservative-leaning Christian.
That’s because for years I’ve operated in a left-leaning world. I’ve worked with clients who have openly expressed hatred for what Charlie Kirk stood for. I’ve worked with students who have posted some of the most vile memes since his murder.
But I’ve also had private voice note messages from others in this space who “found me out" years ago that have said, “I feel the same as you, but we can’t say it out loud.”
While I now feel exposed and know I’ll lose followers because of this (that’s okay), I also feel free to be more solidly and clearly me.
Silence no longer feels like freedom. Hiding from the hard topics no longer feels like freedom. Instead, freedom feels like:
The opportunity to have open conversations with people you disagree with (like Charlie Kirk became famous for doing).
The opportunity to teach your kids where and how you want (like Charlie Kirk advocated for so often).
The opportunity to break out of the prison of hiding your beliefs for the sake of helping others feel less isolated (like Charlie Kirk often did).
Freedom isn’t about hiding. It’s about giving yourself a voice.
What happened last week shook me to my core, but it also deepened my resolve not to let it silence me, a once quiet, keep-to-myself, ruffle-no-feathers, conservative Christian.
Homeschool Flow is here, regardless of your political stance or religious beliefs. I welcome friendly dialogue. Still, this won’t be a hyperpolarizing space, and I have no desire to turn this into a radical, political blog.
My big, lofty goal remains the same:
To help other homeschooling families and those interested in homeschooling find a sense of community.
Homeschool Flow is here to help you get in the flow of schooling and, for some, entrepreneurship, with ease, simplicity, and freedom to advocate for what you feel is good and right in the world.
We weren’t created to do life in isolation, even when freedom from large systems is the goal.
If you’ve been craving someone to talk to, someone who understands all the dynamics of homeschooling, and someone to weep with, smile with, laugh with, love with, find strength with, read with, eat with, sip coffee with, and be human with…
… sister, I’m here, and I’ve got big plans for us.