“To be Queen Elizabeth within a definite area, deciding sales, banquets, labours, and holidays; to be Whitely within a certain area, providing toys, boots, cakes and books; to be Aristotle within a certain area, teaching morals, manners, theology, and hygiene; I can understand how this might exhaust the mind, but I cannot imagine how it could narrow it.
~ G. K. Chesterton in What’s Wrong with the World (a collection of essays first published in 1910)
How can it be a large career to tell other people’s children about the Rule of Three, and a small career to tell one’s own children about the universe?
How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone and narrow to be everything to someone?
No, a woman’s function is laborious, but because it is gigantic, not because it is minute.”
I just read it recently . . .somewhere (alas, I can’t remember where!) and thought it absolutely perfect.
I’m so glad you reminded me of it, today! I think I might write it up for something for Mother’s Day at church. I’ll bet most don’t read much Chesterton!
Misty
Lori,
I’ve always loved that quote! And even though I don’t homeschool (yet!), your philosophy is my philosophy on education. You’re a great mom!
~Natalee Ziebro
PS. I’ve moved my blog to http://360.yahoo.com/nataleeziebro. Send me a message and i’ll include you on my list of friends if you want to check it out.