During the summer months, the number of children attending our Kids’ Connection program on any given Sunday diminishes, understandably so. Nevada County living beckons with all that it has to offer during these vibrantly sunny months.
Even so, we have some lovely days upstairs with the children who do find their way to us. One Sunday, in early June, two big kids (five-year-olds) and a toddler (less than two years old) walked into our little sanctuary. That day provided me with a serene and heart-warming experience as I observed how these three children have taken ownership of the rituals we use in our little service upstairs each Sunday morning.
As we left the downstairs sanctuary to the tune of This Little Light of Mine, the two five-year-olds darted up the stairs, while the toddler and I, hand in hand, took our time negotiating each big stair-step together. By the time we got into the sanctuary, the two big five-year-olds were well into the process of building our altar. This altar building routine has become so meaningful and familiar to them that they do not need any adult prompting or direction to carry it out. This ritual is one I am certain they will remember when they are old enough to have kids of their own. That idea is one that guides Lindsay and me as we think about the learning experiences we create for the children. How can we create experiences that are powerful enough that they become integrated into the children’s very identity as UU’s?
On this particular day in early June, the building of the altar went on and on. The two older kids collaborated with each other, discussing their thoughts and decisions about which pieces to include and how to arrange them. The toddler eventually thought “enough already,” and she sat down to read a book to herself while the other two dithered on about the placement of pinecones, feathers, and stars. Eventually, all three of them agreed that the altar was complete, and we celebrated with a group photo. You can see the pride of accomplishment in the faces and the thumbs up stances of the two older children, the primary designers of the altar on this day.
I am absolutely ebullient when we have energetic days with 12 children upstairs. And, days like this one in early June, when two big kids and a toddler walked into our sanctuary, are also heart-warming because they provide moments of closeness and intimacy in our connections with each other. No matter what, the spirit of Unitarian Universalism sustains all that we are and do with each other upstairs in our Kids’ Connection program on Sunday mornings.