James has attained the magical age, 8. I think he’s hit the peak of childhood, which in my opinion happens between 8 and 10.
People at that age are no longer babies, they are able to start thinking and articulating in a more mature way. They are not yet old enough to be cynical pre-teens; rather, they are immeasurably curious and delighted with the world around them.
His latest assignment – for himself – is to introduce his sister to his friends from Japan. Emme is Japan-crazy, she’s learning words and phrases and has decided that she wants to live there.
When I realized that she hasn’t yet met the family of James’ school friend, I explained to the kids that this is a rare opportunity and they should take advantage of it.
I told them that when I was their age, it was unheard of to meet someone from Japan. You’d have to be very wealthy, or maybe an academic. I explained to them that this is what I mean by learning to run uphill – taking advantage of serendipitous events and good luck, rather than just working hard.
James has been keeping this in mind and promised that he would call his friend and set up a meeting for his sister. I think this is splendid of him.
The weather today was just about picture-perfect, a respite from last month’s heat and humidity.
James and I spent most of the day together, first on a field trip to Peterson Farm with his class at the Children’s School of Science to capture insects and identify plants, then on to WBNERR’s annual community open house. James completed about a dozen different activities, and we got watermelon, ice cream and cake to celebrate the Reserve’s 20th anniversary.
I absolutely love this age and was so happy to be with the CSS kids and their teachers today. It’s an honor to have been able to spend so much time with James in this, his ninth summer, and I hope his memories of it will be as joyful as mine.