One afternoon after our school work was done, we went to do some shopping. It was a good day and we went out for some “just for the heck of it” ice cream cones first. I love to treat them sometimes, since we don’t keep very many sweet things in the house other than cookies every now and then.  We went inside to eat and when we were leaving a mom took the time to tell me how well-behaved my children are. She said she had six kids and she knows how it is. I told her thank you for taking the time to tell me that. I always love the compliments, because she could have just minded her own business and not said anything to me! We happened to have been having a really great and easy day, but if it would have been a hard one, that compliment could  have helped turn it around for me!

Next, we went to Lowe’s to shop for flowers. On the way in, an older gentlemen asked, “Are they not in school?” It’s an occasional question that I get when I’m out in the early afternoon with all of them. When I told them that I teach them and that we were done, he said that his family homeschooled all eight of their children and that they opened one of the first homeschools in Louisiana. I can’t remember the exact number, but he has thirty something grandkids and now they all homeschool, too. He stood and talked with me for a few minutes when he didn’t have to! Another person to share some encouraging words when he could have just walked on by!

Later in the store, my son recognized a hydrangea. I didn’t think much of it, because they hear me talk about flowers all the time. A lady stopped and said, “Wow! He knows his flowers? How did you do that?” It reminded me that everything they are learning from me is significant, even when I didn’t even mean to teach it to them. She smiled and talked with the kids. She didn’t have to do that either.

I guess where I’m going with this is…if you have something nice to say, say it! None of these people knew me or may ever even see me again, and it was so refreshing to be encouraged by strangers. I actually used to be pretty paranoid to be out during the school day when we first started homeschooling. I was afraid of the judgement. It’s easy to be so hard on ourselves as mothers. We are critical of ourselves, but to the outside world looking in…we are still doing a good job! Next time I’m out and I see something worth complimenting I hope I take the time to do it.