Feeling like no one understands my life experience leaves me weary. If I consistently feel, “I am different” and “my experiences aren’t like yours,” I am disheartened. None of us want to have to explain “why we’re doing this” or “what we do all day long.” We want empathy. We want camaraderie. We want to have friends that understand why we choose to homeschool. We all have stories to tell, feelings to confess and ideas to express to an audience uniquely situated to resonate with us. We hope we can find validation, encouragement, support and a community of people ready to listen.
We need to create a bridge to overcome the separation that surrounds us. This can come through shared meaning, inclusion and agreement. This kind of belonging will make us our best selves and allow us to persist in our homeschooling.
Belonging isn’t just about joining a co-op. Belonging comes from having similar experiences and from being included. Belonging is a choice. Belonging is an effort to find similarity, to join forces, to build community and to collaborate.