passages

When Olive was a baby she loved her pacifier, and we loved it too. Whenever she would fuss, which wasn't very often, we would just pop in the pacifier (lovingly known as a her "passy" or "pass") and she would settle right down. In the car, the pass did the trick putting her to sleep. Nap time - pass. Sick? Pass. Injured? Pass. Jon and I were very good about making sure one of us had a pass stashed away whenever we would leave the house.
When Olive was about three, we started to wean her from the pass during the day while at school. She learned how to nap at school without her pass, but always wanted it at home. In anticipation of her 4th birthday, we talked a lot about saying goodbye to the pass, but, she just wasn't ready.
A couple of weeks ago, we lost the only pass we had left. The first night was scary but we all knew she could do it. And, she did. One night turned to two, then three. In no time a week had passed and life had moved on, unceremoniously, without the pass.
Until, one cold day last week. Olive put on one of her warm coats, reached in the pocket and pulled out a pass. I could see her heart leap into her throat. I also choked up.
Then Olive had an idea! Now she could hang her last pass on the Cho Cho Tree!! The Cho Cho Tree is a very special tree outside of Stepping Stones where kids hang their pacifiers when they are ready to say good-bye.
Olive spent the morning at school planning her ceremony and decorating her passy. The teachers tell me that it was a very special event. Olive inspired many of the other kids to participate in her self-designed ceremony, complete with a Tibetan singing bowl, a moment of silence, some songs and some special words about growing up. One of the teachers that has been at Stepping Stones for many many years, Liz, took pictures and plans on writing a story about the event. She said it was really moving.
Here are some pictures of Olive's passy as she decorated and hung it on the Cho Cho Tree.