A Place I Love

 So tonight my writing begins very late and after a couple glasses of wine, but I have to keep good on my promise....so here I go. We'll pray for no typos. ;)

Tonight Brian and I attended an auction at Addison's school. She attends Keystone Adventure School and Farm which I have loved since the day I walked into. Having been an educator and involved in public schools, I knew there was something lacking in public education very early on.

We went to tour Keystone about a year ago this Spring before enrolling Addy in their 1/2 day 3 year old program. As we walked through the school, it was obvious that things were different about Keystone. The kids are free to discover who they are there. You will often find a shoe less child near the front door or climbing a tree in the back yard near the creek. Last year during our tour, we watched as a 5th grader walked us through a re-creation of a rain forest as she explained to us each and every part of the forest itself. It was an art project on crack. Nothing you would ever see in public schools, and yet the kids knew and understood everything they were a part of creating.  It was truly amazing.

Addison has been there for almost a year now, and when it came time to re-sign her contract for next year, we were both filled with doubt. I don't know where that doubt stemmed from, I can guess it was from the devil.

Every time I have walked into the doors of Keystone, I have felt at home and loved, and I can only imagine how those children have felt.  Addison cried over Spring Break because she wanted to go back to school and see her friends, and yet I still let doubt consume my mind.

Tonight all my fears were swept away. I was reminded of why we pay money for her to go someplace where she is loved and accepted for who she is and encouraged to grow into the person God created her to be.

I also had a conversation with an amazing teacher there who made everything clear to me. She needed to know about Hopelink.org. I needed to hear about her doubt and fear as well. And in the end we both ended up being moms with real kids and real problems finding peace in a place where we knew that everyone would thrive.

I am blessed to be surrounded by amazing people and opportunities. And I am blessed to watch as God has His hand in all that happens in our lives. I have no doubt that the devil was attempting to keep us from a place where our child would thrive and grow, and I am so blessed that my God intervened and allowed us to see the beauty and grace of what we were a part of.

So until there's more, may all children learn and grow...and my the devil be kept at bay by the Holy Spirit....