The Homework Struggle

As I’ve heard and read stories of moms homeschooling their kids, I’ve been thinking about Rory.

When She was young, the struggle was colors.

One day I would ask her the colors and she’d nail them. 100%! I’d be so excited. “She’s done it! She knows her colors.”

Then the next day would happen.

She would get every single one of her colors wrong. Not a single one right.

Oh crap. Maybe she’s part of the minority of women that are color blind.

Maybe she’s distracted?

Nope! She thought she was funny! I would ask her a color and she say the wrong name. Then I would say the correct name and she’d get a big smile on her face.

Yep, she got me.

Then the months leading up to her death she would read passages every night. Some days she’d get through pretty easily.

Then there were other nights.

I would sit and read with her and it’d take her minutes to read one word. In my head I’m freaking out. My daughter is never going to learn to read. What do I need to do?

After a minute I’d say, “Once we’re finished with this you can have chocolate milk.” Or “Once we’re finished you can watch Peep in the Big Wide World”.

Wow. She cruised through that passage.

She got me again!

I salute you moms out there. You’re doing hard, amazing things right now.

Man, I miss reading those passages and seeing those smiles.