An infant embodies hope, love, and future, to a loving couple. First moments, first steps, first birthday, and all that followed brought joy to the couple. Love so strong, it was hard to envision that one day the road would diverge.
The first day of school consisted of the family dining table, a trip to the zoo, and a mom who doubled as teacher. The bond between child and mom as teacher and student grew like a strong oak. Days were almost magical. Dad walks in to hugs and hellos eager to tell of the day’s adventures. His heart was happy to see his family thriving.
Days began to bleed into evenings. Lesson planning superseded laundry. Field trips left the mom (and teacher) to exhausted to give warm welcomes and hello kisses. Dad walks in to see school projects where dinner used to be. He begins to speak yet only the walls seem to notice. He wonders; when did his presence become an interruption? And with that, he was alone.
Loneliness manifests in hurtful ways. The divide widens leaving two people who feel yelling is the only way to be heard. The yelling pushing the the widening gap further.
A heart in pain groans but a heart in despair is silent.
Soon silence seals the divide. A common ground no longer exists. How did this this happen? Love is somewhere buried under disappointment, loneliness, and hurt. The layers are too thick to cut through. How did it get this far? Hearts shatter and the more each try to pick up the pieces the faster they slip through their fingers. Too far gone for fault. Too far gone for blame. Too far gone to see where they began. A line in the sane is drawn dividing the couple in half.
Marriage is not a delicate balance between being a parent and a spouse. Marriage is the foundation that gives you the ability to parent well. There are times when homeschooling can test a marriage. A gap forms when homeschooling stops being a family affair and becomes confined to teacher and student.
Be vigilant in keeping your marriage a priority. Lesson planning can wait. Date night can’t.