The Hunger Games, Homeschooling, & Hope

Sometimes epiphanies happen when I least expect it. And I certainly didn’t expect one as I finished reading a fictional book. Some of the last lines from Suzanne Collins in her new Hunger Games book struck me a bit too close to home…. 

“You were capable of imagining a different future. And maybe it won’t be realized today, maybe not in our lifetime. Maybe it will take generations. We’re all part of a continuum. Does that make it pointless?”

No, it doesn’t. 

God continues to knock at my door, propelling me to speak. He is now speaking to me through fictional books for goodness sakes! I hear you. I’m listening.

Lately, I have pulled back into my shell a bit when it comes to sharing about school/homeschool. It gets tiring and I have thought, ‘what does it matter if I share?’ I’m not sure it’s important. 

But after reading those lines, I think it could matter. Maybe to someone. Maybe to a mom who was/is like me, wondering about homeschool. 

I've been hunkered down in my comfortable space. All winter, I’ve enjoyed my family, my new home, and just rebuilding my life. I have looked at our life differently than I ever have before. I’ve got new eyes. 

Because I am changed. 

Our last stable home (really stable life) was two years ago. We have lived in a state of chaos and make-shift stability since January of 2023 (see Pivot! Pi-Vot! Pi-Vot! Blog to learn more). 

Our life has moved forward and it’s time for me to too. In the past 2+ years, we started homeschooling (abruptly), left higher-paying jobs for no logical reason other than gut feelings (aka God), and experienced a home fire that left us devastated but in a better place once the smoke cleared (pun intended.) 

So while our path continues to be a bit rocky, it’s unique. It’s not perfect and I am no longer striving for perfection, only moments of beauty. 

The longer we homeschool, the more I understand how important this is. 

If you’ve spent much time around me, you know I believe homeschool is the best option for all kids but the most challenging for families. There are many barriers around it in our society and it takes a lot of time and effort to figure it out. More and more families are doing this and one of the main keys is to create a community of like-minded people to support your life. 

Once I knew better, I had to do better. 

While my path to homeschool was slow burning, I ended up here. I’m pretty sure God was calling me to it when Brayden was in kindergarten (2016)  but I was too stubborn. Too close-minded to imagine another future.

Until…

Until I had the right people around me. 

I saw my mentor leave education. I met a new friend who was creating a new way forward with her own school. And finally, I met some women who were homeschooling, just figuring by it out as they went. 

All of those people and events are significant in creating a new future. My current new future but one for generations to come. 

So while I KNOW it’s not everyone’s time, it is our time to take a step in a different direction. I pray for others to awaken and be brave. To take the uncommon step so our children may make a larger impact than we did. 

And this was my immediate thought when I read those lines from Collins book: I’ve got to share more about homeschool because it could be the way of the future.

God comes knocking again…Reminding me I am part of the continuum. 

What could this look like and what do I mean? 

Hopefully, we have chartered a new path. Maybe my boys will homeschool their kids. And maybe my grandkids will homeschool. Maybe someone will start a business at a young age without college. Maybe we have started a new path forward for the Sharp family. Or maybe not. 

Maybe we have shown others this is possible. Showing other mothers they can do it too even though it’s hard. Or maybe I’ve driven them away from the possibility with my rambunctious boys. 

Maybe we live in the in-between and allow families to see we are ‘normal’ enough even though we are doing something outside the norm. 

Maybe I left the school system to show other teachers they can too. 

Maybe, just maybe, I’ve created just enough of a crack for more cracks to fissure... 

Or maybe my crack stands alone for a few more lifetimes. 

But either way, I did something.