by Eve Uberman
The passage of time has always been a topic of wonderment in my life. Some moments come quickly and disappear while others seem to last forever; some I wish would last longer while I would prefer for others to pass.
Working with young children and families at Nia House offers days and years filled with the observation of time in a physical and emotional way. The last 15 years have been filled with countless moments to see and feel the concrete passage of time.
Welcoming new families into the program, watching the families grow and sending our children off to first grade classrooms prepared with the skills to lead the new generations brings me immense joy. Hearing children sound out their first words and seeing them write their names for the first time is an honor and a privilege.
I now have an opportunity to take an even closer look at both time and growth through the evolution of my own son from a mere bump on the belly to a nearly 5 month old child!
My personal challenge during this life transforming time is to recognize the daily feats and struggles of little Abraham, pulling them together to form a comprehensive vision of the forming of his identity with the patience and expertise of my professional life. My experiences observing other families has been beautiful and uplifting, but has afforded me years of quiet evenings and restful nights. I have arrived at school each day ready to celebrate each child's progress.
Now, with a busier home environment, less sleep and a more eventful household, I am striving to practice the celebration of time by acknowledging the cycles of the days and weeks, the fleeting nature of each moment and the true excitement that accompanies my own child's acquisition of independence, focus, motor skills, emotional and physical growth.
Just as I have observed Nia House children over the years, I can see that Abe is delighted with his own growth, with his daily accomplishments and by the opening of his eyes to each new day.
The closeness with which I can appreciate the passage of time continues in my professional life and now, with Abraham, occurs in my personal life as well. My goal as a parent is to continue to allow the wonder and awe that has permeated my career life to pass through into my home life, a pleasure of a task! Abe makes sure that his parents notice his presence in each moment with his cooing, rolling, amazing laughter, his interest in new experiences, and by physically outgrowing his clothes.
As I have learned from many of the parents in the school community over the years, I hope to truly acknowledge the time that seems to stand still (at bedtime or a lack thereof) and the time that speeds by so quickly, and to hold dear each moment as they pile up into a lifetime of learning, loving, growing and more.