When our son, Harrison, was two he stood up on the changing table one day and declared “Today is a new day!” in a voice both loud and clear, full of the self-confidence and anything-is-possible optimism of toddlerhood. The words were not his own original thoughts, of course, but were a quote from his then-favorite movie, Chicken Little. In the movie Chicken Little is a misunderstood little fellow who can’t seem to catch a break, but he wakes in the morning with a can-do attitude, declaring “Today is a new day!” with great enthusiasm.
I love the memory of Harrison’s borrowed declaration that day. Recalling the sound of those ideas spilling forth from his tiny mouth and young mind has a way of filling me with new optimism, a dose of Chicken Little enthusiasm, and renewed hope. And really, today is a new day for our family. We’ve moved beyond the family building and adjustment phases of parenthood (for now, anyway) and into a more settled period of maintaining our solid family unit, growing in traditions and memories instead of babies and new beds.
While we still think about the process of building a family through adoption a great deal (and I am fairly convinced that we’re not done yet), our focus has shifted more to the parenting side of the equation. We now spend a great deal of our time thinking about school systems, diversity, ethics, the effects of racism, and ways in which to raise our children to be good citizens of the earth.
More personally, my focus has shifted to thinking and writing about what my life looks like as the mother of young children rather than infants and toddlers, and how it might change again once my children are away at school all day instead of at home entertaining me. As the full-on neediness of my children wanes, my interests are pulling me once again to crafting and arts, to volunteer work, to advocacy for those whose voices have a hard time being heard, and to the environment. It feels a little like I am rejoining the world after living in the bubble of my children’s babyhood for several (blissful, challenging, fun-filled, thoroughly enjoyed) years.
Harrison and Emma are growing and changing, too. With the introduction of school and social groups, their lives have taken new directions and new meanings, and I will be sure to keep you updated on their funny little quirks and personalities.
We hope you’ll stick around for the next segment of the adventure, where the Sullivan Family News breaks forth into a new day.
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