"We are learning for life, not for a test."

I came across this wonderful article about homeschooling/unschooling by Amy Milstein on UnschoolingNYC that I simply had to share with everyone.  In the article, Miss Milstein compares learning to a river:

We are learning for life, not for a test.  There is no prize for being first; there isn’t even a finish line.   There is only knowledge like an endless river where the water runs fast in some spots and lazes along in others; where objects are picked up and carried for a while and then let go to find their place along the shore; where snags and sandbars can impede progress until the water finds its way around them or rises over them. The life learning journey and destination are all of a part, just as when the river reaches and becomes one with the sea.

It was a wonderful reminder to me, at the beginning of another school year, to relax and go with the flow.  I don't need to sign up for every class or fill our days with as many "teachable" moments as possible.  My son is not going to suffer endlessly if he doesn't master handwriting in the next year, nor is my daughter going to be ruined if she misses a class so she can play awhile longer.   It's okay to set adrift sometimes; to see where the current takes you.  Life and learning are one and the same.