Warts and All

There is a story about the famous portrait painter, Sir Peter Lely, and Oliver Cromwell. At the time, Cromwell was Lord Protector of England. Lely had already done royal portraits before Oliver Cromwell commissioned his work personally.  Lely's painting style was fitting with the custom of the time - paint your subject to flatter them whenever possible, and necessary. Royalty especially expected them to be painted in the best possible light. 

Enter Oliver Cromwell. 

Cromwell preferred to be portrayed as a gentlemen of military bearing, but was known to be opposed to all forms of personal vanity. When Lely came for Cromwell's painting, he supposed he should paint him in the same manner. However, I'm sure he was surprised when he heard Cromwell reply: "Mr. Lely, I desire you would use all your skill to paint your picture truly like me, and not flatter me at all; but remark all these roughness, pimples, warts, and everything as you see me. Otherwise, I will never pay a farthing for it."
 Though it's not proven that he said this, the information only coming from a conversation recalled after Cromwell's death, it is said that this is the origin of the common phrase - "warts and all". 

Warts and all. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Here it is.


Sometimes, my children don't want to do school. Sometimes, they get in a slump and don't want to get out of it. They get stuck in the "School is not what I want to do today, and I don't feel like doing what I need to do, and I really don't care how much fun it might be" kind of mood.

There you have it - raw reality. Just so you never think we have the perfect routine and have it all figured out. We are in the trenches here, wading through deep water and some days just feel like I'm barely holding my head up, to be honest with you. Life, however, is not made of all things planned. Life, I have learned, is in the interruptions!

So don't lose heart my homeschooling friends :) Real life isn't full of Pinterest moments and perfect blog posts :) It's just working hard to get something done, even when rough days come, even  when you have to teach your child(ren) that we can't succumb to tears and frustration, but keep on, keeping on! 

Comments

  1. My Boys' TeacherJanuary 25, 2015 at 7:54 PM

    Such a pretty cry :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amy @ No Greater HonorsJanuary 25, 2015 at 10:20 PM

      Oh, it was rather lovely and lasted so long I almost gave in and gave up for the day! Nothing in the world can quite prepare you for days like that, and I am so thankful they don't happen too terribly often.... at least not with her, that is :)

      Delete

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