Turning the Page

-
Another holiday season has come and gone, and now it is time to welcome a new year. The last month has been a blur of final projects, events, and time with Little Man as we both are home on winter break. This was the first year he seemed more aware and enthused about celebrating holidays, including seeing cousins for Thanksgiving and Christmas. He was especially excited to light candles on Hanukkah, although for me that time was overshadowed by the terrorist attack on Jews at Bondi Beach. I chose not to allow Little Man to attend a public menorah lighting out of concern, which was an upsetting decision to even have to make. That being said, I've been encouraged to see him become more aware of the different parts of his life coming together in unique ways.

We have also started to talk at dinner each night of Kwanzaa about the different values and how those might look in his young mind. Some, like Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics) or Nia (Purpose) are a lot to understand, but he is starting to show how he sees Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Umoja (Unity) and Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility). We talked of ways to help others and what makes us special, and he offered that we could do things together as a family. He certainly demonstrates Kuumba (Creativity) in so many ways. His time in Religious School and his holiday experiences with others forms Imani (Faith). To see him slowly open up to these cultural moments gave me hope that he will find the thing that grounds and guides him.

To Little Man a new year means a day in the park and a new calendar to place on the wall. He knows it is now officially the year he will turn five and start kindergarten. May we all start the year with that simple energy. There have been so many views on 2025 that it is impossible to encompass them all here, but I know we all look to 2026 to not just provide us what we want but to surround us with what we need. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Let's Pretend!

-
One of Little Man's favorite phrases lately is, "Let's pretend.."  Sometimes the phrase is followed by, "I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to myself" -- although a moment later I'm obviously expected to be part of the conversation.  Little Man's stories certainly run the gamut, from tales of heroic acts to ferocious bear hunts to mysterious worlds on the other side of the cracks in our fence.  He talks of his older sister and what her life must be like, as well as reporting the goings on of his daycare friends.  He is quite insistent that his version of the world is true, and there are times where perhaps that would be preferable. This type of creativity is something teachers like to call "a rich inner life".  At this age it's beautiful and entertaining look at a developing mind.  Many argue that the structure of education and its path to college or career prioritizes logic over whimsy, even as more and more businesses find tha...
Read more

Fantastic Four

-
Last year Little Man's third birthday was on Mother's Day  -- this year the celebrations are just one day apart.  He's another year older and -- at least in his mind -- another year wiser.  Looking at him I don't see much difference, but holding up pictures from last year to now it's a shock.  His vocabulary, his interests, his emotions; everything about him is big and getting bigger.  His independence is reassuring and scary, such as when he takes off at warp speed down a busy street or is very insistent in telling me that stomping his foot in rhythm with Lady Gaga is not the same as finding the beat of a Lady Gaga song (both true stories that occurred on the same day).  Needless to say, he keeps me constantly on my toes.  No one can make me laugh harder or clench my jaw tighter than he can. Little Man, on your fourth birthday I wish you the space to continue spreading your wings along with the peace you seek when emotions feel too overwhelming. ...
Read more

School Days

-
It's been awhile since I've had the time, energy, or capacity to post. Summer was filled with my personal studies and other adventures, and now I'm gearing up for year 21 in the classroom. However, we've reached a much bigger milestone in our house -- Little Man is officially a preschooler. Being away all day is nothing new; having been in daycare most of his life, Little Man has had the privilege of so many others besides us loving on him and shaping his early years. Some of those people are still in his life today, a fact for which we are so grateful. This summer he had his first taste of day camp, and though it wasn't so far off from any other daycare experience it also actually was. Watching him stride in and out of the building each day with his backpack (which is adorably almost as big as he is) made him seem so grown up. He still held my hand as we walked across the parking lot, but it was obvious he was ready to tackle the day on his own. Some days he would ...
Read more