Describe a phase in life that was difficult to say goodbye to.
The content reflects on the various phases of human life through the experiences of a person who undergoes significant development and transformations from a carefree toddler to an octogenarian. It captures the essence of life’s journey, including the challenges faced during adolescence, societal pressures, and the nostalgia of childhood memories filled with play and innocence. The narrative further explores the importance of maternal bonds and the fleeting nature of childhood joy. With age, people reminisce about cherished experiences they had. It highlights the bittersweet emotions associated with that time and the inevitable changes that accompany growth.
The child is father of the man…
-William Wordsworth
Table of contents
Key Takeaways
- The article explores the phases of human life, from infancy to octogenarian, highlighting transformations and emotional bonds.
- It discusses significant phases such as pregnancy, childhood, and youth, detailing development and social experiences.
- Key themes include nostalgia, maternal bonds, and the bittersweet nature of growing up.
- The narrative emphasizes the importance of memories and their impact on one’s identity over time.
- Reflections on life evoke mixed feelings of joy and loss as the individual recalls cherished experiences.
Development in the womb
Human life is completed in phases. It starts when an egg is fertilised in the mother’s womb. The fertilised egg is technically known as a zygote. It starts growing as an embryo in a cosy atmosphere attached to a pipe to the wall of the mother’s womb. Finding nourishment from the mother, the embryo grows, takes shape as the organs develop and becomes a fully developed baby. It takes about 273 days to finish the physical development in the womb and for the embryo to become a foetus.
Birth of the baby and rituals
After the foetus comes out, the vagitus announces the baby’s arrival on earth. From the day a newborn’s first cry is heard, people start counting days called age. The prognosticator calculates the almanack closely watching the positions of stars and planets at the time of the birth to predict the future of the baby. A statement of stars, planets et cetera is prepared. They believe that the foetus’s future life would follow the trajectory they calculated. The reference point of every calculation is the position of celestial bodies at the time of the baby’s birth. The whole process doesn’t involve the baby nor does the baby choose the appropriate time to come out. (Psychology.Town),
Phases of development
After the first phase in womb, foetus experience outer world. While estimating the phase, the gestation period should also be taken into account. Nonetheless, in every case, it is omitted.
Outer world and baby
Growth and development of the baby that started in the womb continues. The external world gives many stimuli and impulses to the newborn. These stimuli put the organs of the baby to the test and give a different perception. The infancy continues for about a year or two, when the baby progresses into another phase of life, which is that of a toddler.
Toddler
As a toddler, the baby learns to sit, crawl and then to walk. It is the phase when the baby starts reacting to various external impulses and stimuli, comprehending the surrounding language and expressions. The nascent brain of a baby is very active. It picks up things quickly and processes them as per its capacity.
Active phase
Toddler is an active phase in the life of a baby, with capacity building at its peak. Incapable of speaking, a toddler expresses emotions in various ways of crying. Totally dependent on the parents, the baby grows according to the surrounding conditions.
development of a child from a toddler
Toddlers enter a phase of childhood when they start to adapt to the environment. They start going to kindergarten, make friends and learn lessons. A child does not have to bother about other things for two reasons. One is that the child is tender yet not fully grown; the other is that his stage is very incipient. Some children are gifted with extra talent, while others do not get even the basic necessary things. The harshness makes the latter physically rough and tough.
Childhood generally starts at the age of four or five. It is a phase when children are free from worries. They play, create, learn, befriend and sometimes quarrel. Their quarrel is short-lived, and they start mixing and mingling moments after their quarrel.
The bond
It is a common sight on a construction site that a mother holding her baby in a long stole tied on her back and lugging bricks or detritus. The bond between the mother and the baby is worth appreciating. A mother knows her baby more than anyone else, and amidst her strenuous work schedule, she manages to take care of her baby. It is heartening to see toddlers sleeping under the shade of a tree on a blank patch of land while their mothers are busy with their work.
child’s development
He was a four-year-old boy. It is the stage when a child begins to retain things in mind. He later realised that his parents, especially his mother, were very careful. His mother used to sing rhymes to him, play with him, and teach him. The child was very receptive and used to pick things up quickly. With advancement in age, the child had started going to KG, where he learned social manners and made friends. The child’s performance in school was brilliant, but he was oblivious to it. He used to play, act in school and quickly finish his homework. His mother had taught him to adhere to a routine, which he follows.
The routine
From childhood to old age, a person learns. The child used to wake up early in the morning and, after finishing his daily routine, go to school. He loves going to school and playing with his fellow children. A meticulous child, he would do all that a child could or what was expected from him. He enjoyed colouring the outlined drawings of various animals, flowers, insects or any object. He loved watching living things move and observing them carefully.
Impressionable mind
A child is carefree, innocent and sensitive. It is a phase when playing is the only task they need to do. Memory starts solidifying and incidents start making their impression. It is the stage when the mind is impressionable. They learn what they see around them and in their families. The phase flies off quickly, and gradually, a depth starts taking place in a child’s psyche. Their creative ability starts settling down.
Playful
Playing with mice was his favourite. His elder cousins used to catch a mouse, tie its tail with a long thread and give it to him. The amused child would cry with joy as the mouse ran. He would run behind it holding the string. After playing for a while and feeding the mouse, he would release it.
Small things big joy
He loved colourful kites and spinning tops. He would see kites soaring high in the sky wirb smusement. Whirling colourful spinning tops would amuse him. It look phantasmagoric while spinning. He enjoyed watching them with his cousins, who used to play them. The child had learned to make paper boats. He would squeal with joy when his paper boats made with old newspaper or rough sheets of paper flow in the gushing waters while it rained. It gave him ample pleasure as his boat swiftly floated and hitchhiked in gushing rainwater. He would yell with joy, clap and laugh.
Favourite childhood games
As he grew, hide and seek became his favourite game. He would play for long after school hours. He also enjoyed watching Gilli-Danda though he seldom participated in the game. Playing with rubber balls was also his liking as he loved catching the bouncing ball and throwing it again. He was mediocre at studies but that was not a disadvantage. He would clear his examinations decently.
Development and Transition
After he cleared his board examination, his family shifted to a comparatively big city. He was now fourteen. It was a transitional phase, and later, he came to know about it as a teenager. Peach Fuzz had started appearing on his otherwise clean face. A few blackheads had also appeared. These things annoyed him. His mother told him that these were phasic.
Change in physical appearance
The childish behaviour was waning. Once he had a chance to revisit his old city. It was the month of July. He went to his alma mater. Boys who used to be his classmates were astonished to see his growth and physical appearance. He grew thinner, his face was becoming bony with sloppy cheekbones and prominent jawlines. His long and slender neck remained unaffected, but Adam’s apple had made its presence felt. He saw the same changes in his classmates as well.
Development and youth
Gradually, he entered a phase when an individual is categorised as a youth. He was now twenty and had cleared his post-graduation. The difficult phase had started. After post-graduation, the young man was on a different battlefield of life. The pressure of becoming a self-reliant, earning individual started mounting. He wanted to do something more and finish a doctoral assignment. Compelling situations, rough treatment from his father and societal pressure, nonetheless, tried to crush his spirit. Job seeking was very difficult, but he kept on trying and working hard. He was without a job for more than a quinquennium.
The four-year-old toddler is now an octogenarian and leading a superannuated life. He often reminisces about his old days when, after much struggle, he got a job. The days were difficult. Despite difficulties, his past becomes his cherished memories.
Down the memory lane
Sitting idle, he often travels down the memory lanes, remembering them. It gives him a sweet pain. He used to write his feelings and share them as stories. While in a pensive mood, sometimes his eyes brim, and the letters on the paper become blurred. The old days have gone never to come back again. Quietly reflecting on the old days and the time gives a mixed sense of gain and loss.
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Kamal Kishore Srivastava
A retired government officer turned writer and photographer, Kamal Kishore Srivastava is a regular blogger and essayist who explores life’s deeper meanings through immersive reflections on nature, impermanence, and happiness. On his blog Nature’s Narrative, he blends philosophical storytelling with practical insights. Writing 1,200–1,500 words or more regularly, Kamal is committed to refining his craft, expanding his audience, and building a sustainable space where thought and feeling intersect.
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