LOOKING THROUGH THE MANY STAGES OF LIFE

I leave to children excl !ivel"# $ t onl" %or the li%e o% their childhood# all and ever" dandelion! o% the %ield and the dai!ie! thereo%# &ith the ri'ht to (la" a)on' the) %reel"# accordin' the c !to) o% the children# &arnin' the) at the !a)e ti)e a'ain!t the thi!tle!* And I devi!e! to the children the "ello& !hore! o% cree+! and the 'olden !and! $eneath the &ater thereo%# &ith the dra'on %lie! that !+i# the ! r%ace o% !aid &ater!# and and the odor! o% the &illo&! that di( into !aid &ater! # and the &hite clo d! that %loat on hi'h a$ove the 'iant tree!* ,illi!ton Fi!h A La!t ,ill- ./0/The da" i! Nove)$er 1/# .0//# ro 'hl" 2()* Ro$ert and 3 lie Hancoc+ are a$o t to &elco)e their $ea ti% l $a$" da 'hter ,hitne" A)$er Hancoc+ into the !tran'e# lovin'# hard# e)(t" 4 at ti)e!5 &orld* For thi! da" on her 6o rne" in li%e &ill onl" 'et $etter*** &ith a %e& hard!hi(! on the &a" to hel( &ith learnin'# h )ilit" and other li%e le!!on!** Mothers pregnancy; ,hen I !(o+e to )" )other 3 lie a$o t her (re'nanc" !he told )e that her (re'nanc" &ith $oth )" $rother Aaron and I &ere ea!"* She onl" thre& ( one ti)e7 She had no (ain or crave!* The onl" thin' her doctor &a! &orried a$o t &a! the %act that )" $rother and I didn8t )ove ) ch* ,e $oth %o nd a !(ot &e &ere co)%orta$le in and !ta"ed there* M" )other had to 'o in o%ten %or ltra!o nd! to !ee ho& &e &ere doin'* Heaven lie! aro nd ! in o r in%anc"- 9 ,illia) Goldin'# :ar+ne!! ;i!i$le* Infancy: I8) ! re )" (arent! tho 'ht that the %eedin'# chan'in' o% dia(er! and !oothin' &o ld never end** Ho&ever a%ter !(ea+in' &ith )" dad he !tated that I &a! a 'reat $a$"7 At three )onth! old I !le(t thro 'h the ni'ht* I &a! a$le to hold do&n %ood and &a! (rett" cal)* He al!o !aid to tell "o that I had ! (er !o%t# %at chee+! and $ ) &ith $i'# $ea ti% l $l e e"e!< I !)iled all the ti)e and loved (la"in' &ith )" toe!* ,hich )ean! that )" %ine )otor !+ill! &ere develo(in' &onder% ll"* No&# not ever"one i! a&are o% thi! $ t all !en!e! % nction at $irth* Hearin' i! the )o!t ac te and vi!ion the lea!t develo(ed* Each allo&! %or (erce(tion and !ocial !+ill!*

Toddlerhood: In cha(ter %o r o% the $oo+ it !tate! that %ear i! )ore %oc !ed* La 'hin' or cr"in' $eco)e lo der and ne& e)otion! a((ear* A((arentl" thi! &a!n8t the nor)al- %or )e* M" dad !aid I &ent ( to ever"one* I &a! al&a"! on the 'o# tal+in' to ne& (eo(le and la 'hin'* I &a! (rett" l c+" not to have an" !e(aration anxiet" 4 di!tre!! &hen a care'iver leave!5* I &a! readin' on the $oo+ nder A ;ie& Fro) Science- it !a"! that a cent r" a'o# (arent! in the US o%ten $e'an toilet trainin' in the %ir!t )onth! o% li%e* =" the )iddle o% the t&entieth cent r" toilet trainin' did not $e'in ntil .1 )onth! or later* The chan'e &a! )ade to hel( children learn &hen the" need to 'o and to $e read"* The one do&n %all o% )" childhood i!# )o!t toddler! are (ott" trained at 1 "ear! old !o the" are read" %or (re!chool** !adl" that &a! not the ca!e %or )e* I &a!n8t trained ntil I &a! 2 "ear! old* M" )other !aid !he lied to o r (re!chool teacher and told her I &a! (ott" trained

&hen I &a!n8t* 3o+e! on )" )o) tho 'h# I +e(t havin' accident! and !he had to co)e (ic+ )e ( to chan'e )e* Early Childhood ( 2-6 years old): Earl" childhood i! a (eriod o% extraordinar" 'ro&th# learnin' and (la"* I Fro) a'e 1 to > children !(end )o!t o% their &a+in' ho r! di!coverin'# creatin'# la 'hin' and i)a'inin' a! the" ac? ire ne& !+ill! the" need thro 'ho t li%e-* 4 @ha(ter A# (' .BC5 : rin' thi! !ta'e o% li%e n trition i! ver" i)(ortant* Thi! i! a ti)e &hen health" eatin' ha$it! are )ade* Man" (arent! do not realiDe that children &ho do not r n a lot need %e&er calorie!* I %eel li+e thi! &a! the ca!e %or )e* ,hile )" $rother &a! con!tantl" r nnin' aro nd* I &a! )ore )ello& and ha((" to !it and (la" &ith )" $ar$ie!* : rin' )eal ti)e! I &a! 'iven the !a)e a)o nt o% %ood a! )" $rother Aaron &ho &a! $ rnin' )ore calorie!* I% )" (arent! &o ld have nder!tood thi! I )a" not have $een an over &ei'ht child* E'ocentri!)9 a ter) not +no&n $" )an"* In !hort e'ocentri!) i! !el%9 centeredne!!< not to $e con% !ed &ith !el%i!hne!!* @hildren at thi! a'e !ee the &orld thro 'h their e"e! onl"*

A h ndred "ear! a'o children did not 'o to !chool ntil %ir!t 'rade* Toda" )o!t A to B "ear old8! are in !chool* A! ti)e +ee(! )ovin' and !cienti!t +ee( learnin'# !chool! no&9a9da"! are )ore child centered* Enco ra'in' arti!tic ex(re!!ion* Teacher! &ill !et ( 'oal! %or each child and &rite re(ort! on ho& the" are doin'* I loved !chool a! a child7 I re)e)$er r nnin' into cla!! ever"da" that )" (arent! dro((ed )e o%%* I never cried and $e''ed the) to ta+e )e ho)e* I &a! too excited to 'et )" learnin' on and )eet ne& (hi! &a! al!o the a'e I 'ot )" %ir!t cr !h on a $o"** Hi! na)e &a! 3ere)"* M" )o) !aid I !at next to hi) all the ti)e and con!tantl" tried to tal+ to hi)* She +ne& then that I &o ld $e a ver" %lirt" teena'er* Middle & ate Childhood (6 to !2 years old): Maintainin' an active li%e at thi! a'e &ill $ene%it children later on in li%e* More and )ore children are $eco)in' o$e!e# 'ettin' a!th)a# heart (ro$le)!# hi'h $lood (re!! re and )ore* I% "o can )aintain a health" &ei'ht at thi! a'e "o are li+el" to develo( $etter !+ill! to hel( "o !ta" health" in "ear! to co)e* A! an over &ei'ht child I +no& &hat i% %eel! li+e to not %i'ht into c te clothe!* Have other +id! loo+ at "o di%%erent and %eel li+e "o can8t 6oin a tea) $eca !e "o r n o t o% $reath to !oon* @hildren toda" !ee) to $e )ore o(en )inded and le!! 6 d')ent* ,hile I &a! 'ro&in' ( it &a! hard to %ind 'ood %riend! that didn8t 6 d'e "o $a!ed on "o r loo+!* Reli'io ! In!tr ction9 Here in the United State! Reli'ion and !chool are !e(arate $eca !e o% the @on!tit tion* In other nation! !chool teache! reli'ion* For exa)(le In Finni!h !chool (arent! are 'iven three choice!* I 're& ( in an L:S %a)il"* : rin' the &ee+ I &o ld learn &hat I needed to %or !chool and on S nda"! I &o ld learn a$o t o r Lord 3e! ! @hri!t and the (rinci(le! o% the Go!(el* =oth !chool and ch rch are ver" i)(ortant to )e no&# $ t &eren8t al&a"!* "dolescence (!# to !$ years old): Let the roller coa!ter! $e'in7 E $ert"< it! a&+&ard# !car" and )a+e! &o)en craD" at %ir!t* Yo r hor)one! are 'oin' ever"&here* One )in te "o are

ha((" and la 'hin' the next "o are "ellin' at "o r %ather< not %ond )e)orie! I have* Than+! to ( $ert" "o r !lee( c"cle chan'e!* Yo 'o %ro) 'ettin' / ho r! o% !lee( to 2 i% "o are l c+"* Mo!t adole!cence I +ne& !ta"ed ( ntil 1 in the )ornin' %ro) not $ein' a$le to !lee( then &o+e ( at > to 'et read" %or !chool* M" $rother Aaron )i!!ed thi! % n- !ta'e o% li%e* Ever" ni'ht he &a! in $ed at 0FAG and &o+e ( at >* I on the other hand !ta"ed ( %or ho r!* ,ith lac+ o% !lee( co)e! di%%ic ltie!< )ood di!order!# in!o)nia# tro $le %oc !in' in !chool and ni'ht)are!* Fear o% %ail re can )a+e %riend!hi( hard* Yo 8re tr"in' to $lend in $ t al!o %ind o t &ho "o are* Eh"!ical Ed cla!!e! $eco)e co)(etitive and "o r cla!!e! 'et harder* Yo con!tantl" co)(are "o r!el% to other! in "o r cla!!* Since I never had 'ood %riend! and )" $rother did I %o nd )"!el% tr"in' to $e $etter than hi) at !chool &or+* I ( !hed )"!el% to !t d" and learn a! ) ch a! (o!!i$le* I &o ld achieve that &a"* Early ad%lthood (2& to '& years old): The child$earin' "ear! are (on !7 Traditionall" a%ter $ein' )arried %or a "ear or t&o a co (le &o ld have a $a$"* Thi! i! not the ca!e an")ore* More and )ore "o n' teen! are havin' $a$ie! alone# or &o)en are choo!in' to &ait ntil a$o t 1/ "ear! old* M" 'eneration i! )ore career centered# than %a)il" centered li+e the 'eneration! $e%ore !* @areer! are not the onl" thin' on o r )ind* Ta+in' ri!+! !ee)! to $e in ever" t&ent" "ear old8! )ind< ex(lorin' and vol nteerin' to %i'ht* Yet a'ain I can8t relate to thi! (art o% )" li%e** I8) not ver" advent ro !* I8ve never even cli)$ed a tree* La!t )onth I t rned 1B "ear! old* I %ind )"!el% thin+in' and &onderin' a$o t the % t re* Ho& &ill )" health $e &hen I8) 2GH ,ill I $e )arriedH The next co (le "ear! o% )" li%e &ill $e li+e a trea! re h nt* I can8t &ait ntil I %ind that che!t o% drea)! co)e tr e and ho(e% ll" !o)e )one"* Middle ad%lthood ('& to 6& years old): :ivorce* Ad lt! are a%%ect! $" divorce in &a"! the" never tho 'ht antici(ated* Red ce! inco)e# !ever! %riend!hi(! and !o)eti)e! &ea+en! %a)il"* The tho 'ht o% divorce i! !o)ethin' I never &ant to ex(erience* I% I %ind love I ho(e to hold on to it* :ecline in health !ee)! to ha((en )ore o%ten %or thi! a'e 'ro (* ,or+in' at a ho!(ital I hear a lot o% (eo(le !a" the" never tho 'ht the" &o ld have ! r'er"# 'et MS# have ) lti(le t )or! re)oved* I can onl" ho(e and (ra" that i% I contin e to ta+e care o% )"!el% )" health &ill not decline li+e tho!e I have ta+en care o%* ate ad%lthood (age 6& & so on): ,hat &ill the &orld $e li+e &hen I8) in )" >G8!H CG8!H And !o on** ,ill I even live that lon'H Mo!t )e)$er! in )" %a)il" (a!! a&a" in their CG8!* The (hra!e Ho)e S&eet Ho)e i! al!o !o)ethin' to thin+ a$o t* Eart o% )" ho(e! to $e in an a!!i!ted livin' center in )" /G8! and I &ill )o!t li+el" have de)entia !ince I8ve $een &or+in' &ith the elderl" %or C "ear!** M" co&or+er! and I 6o+e that it! conta'io !* The &orld i! ever chan'in'* So)e 'ood# !o)e not !o 'ood* For all I +no& the h )an race co ld $e in ,,III or &e co ld all $e livin' in (eace* I &ant to 'ro& old &itho t %aceli%t!*** I &ant to have the co ra'e to $e lo"al to the %ace I8ve )ade* So)eti)e! I thin+ it &o ld $e ea!ier to avoid old a'e# to die "o n'# $ t then "o 8d never co)(lete "o r li%e# &o ld "o H Yo 8d never &holl" +no& "o *I Maril"n Monroe