Stages

In my many child development classes we have talk about and learned of the stages of development. Though I no longer have the details memorized I am aware of these stages still and I love watching the children around me go through them. In my brother’s family I have watched their first son go through many of these stages and followed by his two younger brothers. Even though these stages are basically the same for each child I am more fully understanding that each child goes through them and finds joy. Joy to be had from each and every child entering and succeed in these stages.

My youngest nephew is an expert crawler now and  you can see such pride in his eyes now that he has the mobility to keep up with his older brothers to some degree. They run into a room and off he goes crawling as fast as he can to follow by the time he gets there he is so pleased with himself that he does not even care that his brothers have already moved on and out of the room or area.

Watching him do this over the last while has gotten me thinking more about the stages, we all go through. Sometimes as adults we take it for granted and just expect it of them I noticed myself doing this. Instead we as adults should find joy also in each child that reaches these stages for the first time, because after all it is their first time!

Second Hand Flower

This past month was recital time, the children get to show off to whomever they wish to invite that which they  have  learned in their dance classes. As part of the dance, or it’s roots may have come from somewhere else, nonetheless it is customary to give a dancer flowers at the end of a recital. As a teacher I as well get flowers, yet not as a rule. Last year I received my first second hand flower. It took place like this: A dancer of mine just finished her very first dance recital and was given a bouquet of carnations. She was so excited she brought them up to me to show them off with radiating well earned pride. I congratulated her and showed her my flowers too, that another student had just given me. She smiled and asked who had given me the flowers. I told her simply one of the dancers. She looked at the flowers I was showing her and then to her own flowers. I figured she was thinking that she was lucky that she had flowers just like her teacher. Then what she did next surprised me and I almost didn’t accept it. She took one of the stems from her carnation bouquet and handed it to me. I opened my mouth to refuse yet something in her eyes stopped me she had thought this through and in her selflessness she wanted to give them to me. Stopping her would be denying her blessing of her selfless service.

This event almost slipped away from me forever until this almost exact event took place a couple of weeks ago. When a little dancer of mine brought me a carnation and it look like it had come from her bouquet. I recalled last year and grabbed at this memory. Learning once again from two children about observing those around you and making selfless decisions that helps another person.

I also learn from this experience that we as caregivers of children need to allow children opportunities to service and sacrifice, otherwise they will miss out on great learning and character building moments.