"Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom." ~ Albert Einstein

This is our last full week in Cville and I can't help feeling reflective. One of the things I love about unschooling is that there is no separation between learning and living. By living this way, few moments are wasted and the opportunities to just live in the moment are more present.

One of the promises we had made to the kids is that their agenda is as important as ours. If there is something the kids' value for themselves, then it is of value to us. We may not hold their interest, but we respect that it holds theirs. This means that learning to whittle or learning to make a fire in the fireplace has become as valuable as reading a story or writing a thank you note. A visit to the skatepark is as important as taking a hike in the mountains. What happens, as a result, is a mutual respect for each other's needs as well as empowerment to speak and think freely, knowing that each of us will be heard.