The Circle Game

Years ago, Joni Mitchell wrote a wonderful song, 'The Circle Game'. My sister, Mimi, used to sing it to me when I was a little girl. The song is all about time marching on, wishing you could speed time up when your young and wanting to slow it down when you are older. The chorus was something like this "and the seasons they go round and round and the painted ponies go up and down, we're riding on a carousel of time, we can't return we can look behind from where we came an go round and round and round in the circle game."

The truth in that song was never more apparent to me than this past Sunday. I took Sophia to her first Grand Rapids Art Festival to hear her Grandpa (sorry, Oompa) play with the Big Band. The band played in front of the Calder sculpture and I had such a strange sense of deja vu. Some 36 years ago, I was the little girl standing in that very plaza watching my sister perform at the Art Festival.

Later that day, I found myself putting Sophia in my old high chair. I told her, "this was my high chair when I was a little girl." That is when it hit me, it was over 38 years ago that I was first placed in that high chair. Where did the time go? I wonder if someday Sophia will have this same strange sense of the passage of time.

I think one of the best things about having our daughter is that we get to see the world through a whole new set of eyes. Everything is interesting and fascinating to her. She explores her surroundings and takes delight in the smallest of things. Daddy making silly faces, Mambo looming over her, Oompa playing the piano for her, Nana singing to her, or just feeling my hair as she is sitting in her backpack. It is hard to imagine this inquisitive little girl having limited stimulation for her first 10 months. I think she doesn't like to sleep because she is afraid she will miss something.

We are constantly amazed by Sophia. There just does not seem to be enough adjectives to describe how we feel about her. Most of the time, I am in awe. In awe of her spirit, her wonderful laugh, her beautiful eyes, her intelligence, her smile and, most of all, her determination.


Sophia helps Nana and Jill make dinner