I find it helpful sometimes to look at my vocation as a homeschooling mom through the lenses of other careers. So hang with me for a little thought experiment.

Imagine for a second you’re a pediatric medical provider. Let’s compare two ways you could approach your career.

One charges little, but it’s obvious she loves kids and cares a ton. She’s a bit frazzled from the years of fighting with and losing to insurance companies, but she always smiles and chats cheerfully with patients and their parents.

The other is polite, likes kids enough to have gotten into the field at least, charges a bucketload (up front, of course), and only sees kids for their reevaluations—she outsources the weekly appointments.

Both are indomitable entrepreneurs, both highly trained and skilled providers.

Are you the busy, probably struggling financially, but heart-full provider, bootstrapping your way through your workday?

Or are you the nice provider with a nice house and up-to-date practice, who gives a kid a toy but asks that it not be used on the walls (it’s intended purpose) because they were recently painted?

Enthusiastic, deep passion for your vocation or nice, neat professionalism?

Both “get the job done,” but what impression will each type of adult leave on the kids in their care? How would you define “success?”

Homeschooling is and it isn’t a job to get done. “Doing a good job” homeschooling our kids doesn’t take the same sorts of training required in medicine, but we do need knowledge, resources at our disposal, and the ability and dedication to carry out the task everyday, every year. This is a marathon.

More important than all of that, though, is the light we bring. The care, the softness. The spazzy joy, the willingness to let loose and act silly.

Connection. Light. Passion.

Will you bring neatness and professionalism, or will you bring light and passion? If you want to bring neatness (a good thing), How will you do it? Rigidly and loudly, or gently, joyfully?

Let’s go with light today, shall we?