Beacon of Hope

Today the sun was shinning.  What a beautiful Florida day!  The weather seemed to be perfect and the tempature of my heart was warm.  The day started with our small co-op.  While my best friend taught the big kids I was doing a review game for Florida History with the little ones.  We had an Easter Egg hunt - the eggs had questions and candy - if the child could answer the question they were allowed to keep the egg - if not it went back in the basket to be redrawn later in the game until all the eggs were gone -- the kids loved it and we went over a ton of questions.   After usually the big kids have science co-op; but today science was cancelled so we went to Chick fila instead.  The intention was just to stay for lunch - 2 hours later we were  still laughing and carrying on - lunch with 2 friends - always a big treat!   Off to park day - I had a meeting for next years co-op and the kids were going to play.  My daughters talked me into taking my best friends daughters with us - I absolutely love the fact that my daughters best friends are my best friends daughters -- makes life so easy.

Many of the women in this group are new to me.  I'm probably more open than I should be not really knowing them yet - but if my family is to be shunned I'd rather it happen before I consider them good friends and not after.  Funny, it didn't happen - just the opposite, I found acceptance in a group of women that were like me.  Maybe there is hope to have a "group" of friends again.  I talked about the drive home from Arkansas and one of the women asked me why I had been there.  I told her my son was in the hospital and she asked why.  I took a deep breath and said - "he's there for mental issues".  No one flinched.  She said "Oh, you know I was hospitalized for 3 months as a teenager"  she went on to tell me of her struggle with acute care facilities and then residential as a teen -- but most importantly -- how it helped her.  She was my beacon of hope.  She has a family, is a homeschool mom just like me, raising her family in the faith.  There is hope for my child.  I could see it in this womans life.  She spoke of some really deep issues that she went through & said when she was finally ready to face her trauma - progress went a lot quicker.  All the women sat there, engaged in conversation - no one flinching.  I like this this group.  I want to be a part of them and they seem willing to let me be.  It's been a while since I "wanted" to be part of a group - once bitten twice shy.  But I think we could belong here.  I have one really good friend in this group who has been trying to get me to come for a while - should have listened sooner.

We then went to the meeting for co-op for next year - basic business stuff - what's to be taught, who's teaching what, etc...  Funny it didn't really matter to me what was being taught - my children will be part of this group next year because of the acceptance they will receive; we will not be asked to leave  because my son faces challenges in his life...

Today I dance with the sun on my face.