Homeschool is a Compound Word
Homeschool is a compound word, made up of two root words: home and school. Let’s talk about the second root word first. I suppose just about everybody over a certain age in America knows what school means because just about everybody over a certain age has spent some time there and most of us have spent several years there and many, many have spent twelve or thirteen years there and many have spent sixteen, seventeen, or more.
Now let’s talk about the first root word. The first root word in homeschool is quite different from the second one. It’s a much sweeter word. We have been painting and embroidering and wood-burning and crocheting the words “Home Sweet Home” for a long time. Somehow “School Sweet School.” doesn’t create the same feeling.
Our business takes us out of town often. That means we have seen the insides of many hotel rooms. One time when we were holed up in a hotel room trying to finish a writing project away from the distractions of home, we stayed in the room a couple of times while the same two housekeepers worked together to tidy up our room. On this particular occasion, we were there for a four-day stay and had earned enough credit card points to have a suite. We worked in the sitting area while the ladies did their jobs on the other end of the room and the bathroom. As they left, one of them said, “This room is so homey” and she lingered a little.
With a puzzled heart and a grateful face, I thanked her while I wondered how the room, which looked so very much like the other rooms in the hotel, looked homey.
Since were were going to be there for a few days, we had found a spot for everything and were trying to keep things tidy. We try to stay healthy while we travel, so we had some food on a couple of shelves. But, how did these little things make her think it was homey?
I’m still puzzled about that. Did we look homey in our work spots in the living area surrounded by our papers? Did we look homey because we were a married couple who had been together for a long time and who were dressed for the day and not lolling about in our pj’s?
Was our young housekeeper revealing her own longing for home?
One thing I am not puzzled about. I am not puzzled about which of the root words in homeschool means the most to children. When Jesus wanted to touch the hearts of His disciples and comfort them before His death on the Cross the next day, He told them:
In My Father’s house are many dwelling places;
if it were not so, I would have told you;
for I go to prepare a place for you.
John 14:2
Jesus knew that we all long for home.