Graduated {Home School +}

With all the pomp and circumstance one could hope for, Zachary received his Associates in Arts and Science and his high school diploma.  Ending his twelve year journey in our Catholic home school, combined with his two years at the local community college in the running start program, Zachary was recognized with honors.  With a stellar academic record behind him and a challenging course of study at the University of Notre Dame ahead of him, Zachary's graduation gave us a great reason to celebrate.

Diploma (cover) in hand, Zachary holds back a giant smile, but lets a little one escape.

The fine bleacher seating for the commencement ceremony left comfort out of the question for the five of us with the coveted tickets for entry.  Meanwhile, Tim's mom (Grandma Billie) and my dad (Grandpa Pete) lounged in cushy theater chairs watching the event unfold on a big screen TV in the overflow seating area on campus.  We arrived early enough to claim top row seats in the bleachers, giving us the benefit of a back rest and fine viewpoint.  By God's grace, Zachary's seat, in the sea of caps and gowns, was nearly directly below us.  From such a close vantage point, we witnessed one of his instructors giving him an enthusiastic, loving greeting as Zachary took his seat after the procession. 

Zachary with Grandpa Pete

 

Grandpa Cliff and Grandma Billie share Zachary's joyful occasion.

Joseph, me, Zachary, Peter and Tim

The unforeseen highlight of Zachary's commencement event came at the cake and punch reception in the plaza following the formal ceremonies.  That same instructor we had witnessed giving Zac such a friendly greeting in the gym sought out my husband, Tim, to tell him in person what a fine young man and exceptional scholar he knew in Zachary.  Introducing himself as Zachary's logic instructor, he said,

"Zachary has one of the brightest minds I have ever come across.  I've been CEO of corporations and taught PhD level courses, and Zachary ... should be going directly to graduate school."

We give all the glory to God for the gifts He's given Zachary in mind, heart, soul and strength.  We are grateful for the gift of freedom and specifically for religious liberty~ making it possible for us to provide him with a Catholic education at home.

Honoring Our Parents

{Flashback Friday}

My dad (Pete) with his parents Art and Peg (Margaret Mary) 

My mom (Patty) with her parents Florence and Michael

I am blessed with incredible parents, who received a legacy of devotion, virtue, and high standards in parenting from their own parents.  My maternal and paternal grandparents baptized and raised my mom and dad in the faith as Catholic Christians; making many sacrifices to provide Catholic educations for each of them and their siblings from first grade through college.  My parents also gave me and my siblings the gift of life and the gift of new life in baptism; with the hope of eternal life.  My parents made many sacrifices for my Catholic education, and always~every single Sunday~no-matter-what~ took our family to Church to celebrate Mass.

Our family camping trips, skiing get-a-ways, and sailing expeditions were charted out according to landing at a location on Sunday (or Saturday night) where we could worship with our Universal Catholic Church.  What a tremendous gift to be given a living, breathing, visible, tangible faith life.  Not only did our parents prepare us for confession and First Holy Communion; but also for second, third, fourth...Holy Communions.  Celebrating the Eucharist together every Sunday (and often on weekdays) anchored our family in Christ's love.

One of the ways I honor my father and mother (and Tim's parents likewise) is by passing on the legacy of Catholic Christian parenting they so selflessly gave us.  Our focus on a family faith life and a Catholic (home school) education for our children blesses our parents as they watch their grandchildren grow and mature in their love of Christ and His Church.   Although we can never repay our parents for the countless sacrifices they made for our benefit; nurturing our physical, spiritual, educational, and emotional needs; we can follow their example and give them the gift of honoring their legacy in how we raise our own children.

The bar's been set pretty high, and it's only by God's grace that we hope and strive to raise up our kids for heaven.  It takes supernatural strength to stay faithful in a world begging us to take the easier, softer way toward comfort, ease, and "whatever makes us happy."  We continually ask the angels and saints to pray for us that we might keep ourselves and our children in God's name and help them daily on their path toward holiness.