My second granddaughter, Shaila, who turned 5 on July 3, is about to graduate from Hania's Daycare, Rockville, Md., and is gearing up for kindergarten.

Preparing for her stage debut, with the help of the daycare teacher, Ms. Hania, and her mother, Shaila is heart-broken. She doesn't want to leave daycare because she loves her teacher and all the kids. She says, "It's not fair!" Shaila argues, "Why I can't study at a higher level at Hania's Daycare."

Shaila has attended Hania's Daycare since she was 10 months old. My daughter, Meena, perfectly understands her child's innocent love affair with her daycare teacher and says, "It's sad."

However sad or hard it is, Meena must talk to Shaila about this situation, which mimics that of her two goldfish, which had to be transferred, as they grew bigger after a year or so, from a jar to a larger fish tank. And later two additional fish were added to the tank. Meena must convince Shaila that change is just a part of the process of growing up.

As Shaila goes to kindergarten, she will have a new teacher, and she will make new friends. As she adds new people to her life, she still can visit Ms. Hania occasionally. Shaila is not subtracting Ms. Hania from her life; on the other hand, she is adding more people to expand her little world, like the goldfish needed a larger tank so that they could grow and expand their world.

Shaila's situation makes me reflect on the day when three decades ago, my husband and I dropped our first born, 3-year-old Meena, now the mother of three, at the Catholic Nursery. As the sister appeared to receive her, clinging to us tightly, Meena said, "I want to go home." Somehow, we succeeded in convincing her that it would only be a few hours until we would be outside waiting for her.

I cried all the way to home, and my husband teasingly said, "You just dropped your daughter at the nursery; it's not like you gave her away in marriage." When it was time to pick her up, we eagerly waited in the lobby for 10 long minutes.

Meena, holding the same nun's hand, came out with a big smile and told us, "I like the school. I want to be a doctor." As she enthusiastically waived goodbye to her teacher, I was stunned by her quick transformation.

Shaila has always struck me as demanding, well-determined, never annoying but always convincingly sweet. Instead of pouting or crying, if she was displeased, when she was a toddler, she would just say, "No!" and have it her own way. If she wanted to land on her mother's lap or wanted her father to hold her, she would just climb on her mother's lap or keep following her dad until he picked her up. She has always been strong-minded, but a sweet go-getter. Born on July 3, and by her typical behavior, Shaila has earned from me a nickname, "Lady Liberty."

From that emotional first day in kindergarten class to her high school graduation day in 2021, it is hard for me to imagine how this little girl's life is going to take shape over the next 13 years, since the culture is changing so rapidly. I am sure at times her mother wants to hold her innocent child tightly in her arms and never let her go. Also, I am sure other parents have experienced similar moments at one time or the other.

All parents desire to protect their children from the harsh realities of the world, although, we, as adults, know how life works. All we can do is teach our children morals and values, and the difference between right and wrong and thus, help build their self-confidence so that they can go out and make their own way. Additionally, we should remind them that it is their life; they can make it good and productive, or they can mar it. Ultimately the choice is theirs. Hopefully our early guidance, coupled with faith and prayers, will channel our children to make good choices.

It is hard for me even to imagine how the world will look in 2021. All I am sure of is that our younger parents are going to need a lot of strength, combined with the Lord Almighty's blessing to raise their children.

May God bless our children and our grandchildren with smooth sailing!

Mandakini Hiremath is a Claflin instructor and coordinator of the university's writing center.

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