By Amy Hoffman
In September I took a solo vacation to New England. Because I wanted to see as many sites as possible, I kept to a whirlwind pace. I asked friends for their recommendations about places that I should visit, and one suggested watching the sunset from a specific beach on Cape Cod. That day was a busy day where I visited locations in three states, and I wasn’t sure that I’d make it to the beach on time. But wow, I’m glad that I did! Many people were gathered on the beach and engaged in lively conversations, but as the sun sank closer to the horizon a calm came over the crowd. The photos in this post are from when the sun was sinking toward the horizon and then when the moon first appeared. Read more
The whole experience brought tears to my eyes. Why?
- Because I realized it was the first time I had experienced seeing the sun set over a large body of water.
- Because the beauty quite simply took my breath away.
- Because it was a period of calm in my chaotic schedule, not just during my vacation but during my life.
- Because it brought me pure simple joy.
We all live in a busy world, and children are no exception. In fact, children aren’t always able to process the chaos that may surround them. They also have an uncanny knack of picking up on tension when the adults around them are feeling stressed. As an early childhood educator, you can help children to deal with chaos and stress. But it’s equally important that you take care of yourself. Take some time this week to watch the sun rise or set, to see the joy on a child’s face as they discover new things about their world, or to engage in another activity that calms you or brings you joy. You won’t regret it.