Back in the homeschool classroom: Casey

I had a "friend" request waiting for me this morning on Facebook that brought a smile to my face. Casey, now a 28-year-old banker in North Carolina, was one of my son's best friends during the years we lived in North Carolina. Classmates in kindergarten, first, and second grades, they were typical boys who were active and imaginative and part of a group of friends, some who have stayed in touch throughout the years.

The son of a Baptist preacher, Casey was a dark-haired ball of dynamite, animated and always on the move, an extrovert who was a delight to have around.

Back in the days of the Teenage Ninja Turtles, Casey and SWAC Son played out the roles of their favorite turtles both on the playground and at friends' houses. Casey was often at our home as the boys roamed all over the farm, played baseball in the front yard, shared video games, hung out at the barn, and enjoyed exploring all the aquatic critters in the pond. I would set up scavenger hunts and can still see Casey racing around the yard chasing clues, a big smile on his face as he called out to the other players.

In second grade, when I took SWAC Son out of public school to begin our homeschool journey, he and Casey remained close friends; indeed, Casey fit in with SWAC Son's new-found homeschool friends.

The boys were 12 when we moved back home to Virginia. Leaving Casey was tough but the boys stayed in touch as they grew into manhood, visiting with each other even as they went off to college and moved on with their lives. Casey was part of a Christian rock band that traveled to Harrisonburg's fairground to play one summer which provided good times.

As those memories and more flooded my brain, I quickly "friended" Casey on Facebook and then scanned his Wall. The little boy I had known all those years ago had grown into a fine young man and is now a brand new dad of a little boy.

But what made me smile even more was reading his Facebook description of himself:

I love people. My number one passion and desire is to help and love other people in the same way Christ loved people. I love my amazing wife and I am blessed to have such an amazing woman to share forever with! I have an awesome dog named Forrest; he is pretty much the coolest dog on the planet. I love music and hope to get back into singing and writing music again soon -- never thought I would miss it as much as I do. I hope to retire at the young age of 55.

Indeed, this son of a preacher man had not lost his values during his life journey. Thanks to Facebook, Casey and I are now reconnected ... and the journey continues.

Lynn Mitchell was a homeschool mom for 16 years, serving in leadership of Parent Educators of Augusta County Homes (PEACH) as president, newsletter editor, and teen coordinator. Her son graduated from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, in 2007 with a major in computer science and a minor in creative writing, and her daughter graduated from Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia, in 2012 with a major in business. Lynn currently serves as a trustee at the Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia and on the Augusta County library board, and represents the 6th Congressional District on the Republican Party of Virginia's State Central Committee.

Linked at Homeschool Courier