Every once in a while, I experience something that reminds me why I chose to work here at Neighborhood House and why I enjoy my work so much. It is sometimes easy to lose sight of these emotions in the press of daily business. We are open nearly 12 hours a day, five days a week, nearly every day of the year. It's good to be reminded of why our work is so important, even as we sometimes struggle to get through a particular week.

A little girl in one of our toddler rooms recently turned 3. We celebrate the birthdays of all children (and staff members) here at Neighborhood House, but because Arietta's mom also works here, this celebration was a little different. At Christmastime, Julie and Arietta created T-shirts for Arietta's teachers marked with her hand print and a little heart. On the staff meeting day closest to her birthday, many of us wore our T-shirts and posed for a photo before the meeting began. Arietta was surrounded by a circle of caring women who have watched her blossom from a tiny baby to a smart little girl who knows her own mind and has an amazing vocabulary.

Like co-workers anywhere, we sometimes disagree and sometimes don't treat each other as well as we should, but we always agree that we need to work hard to provide the best possible learning environment for the children in our care. Arietta's birthday reminded us of the importance of what we do, day in and day out, to make Neighborhood House a place where children come first.

Another moment came on a warm June morning. I was somewhat crankily pulling weeds in one of our garden areas. A former teacher started this garden with a flurry of enthusiasm and full of plans for the children to assist in the upkeep as a learning experience. You won't be surprised to learn that a few adults who work here have done most of the weeding that the garden has received in the past couple of years. I heard some commotion as our mini-toddlers and their teachers came out to enjoy the warm sun. Megan and Sarah, the teachers, brought some basins of water for the children to explore. They wisely brought two basins, so that the children did not have to wait for a turn to enjoy splashing in the water. I could not help smiling as I watched the two adults and the six children completely enjoy being together on a beautiful day.

Preparing to take a group of young children outside can be a daunting experience, and sometimes the temptation to not bother is hard to resist. These two teachers were rewarded with a wonderful morning with their mini-toddlers. At least once each day, all of our teachers take the extra step and do the extra bit of work that provides an extra learning opportunity for our children and makes an ordinary day special.

The third moment came a couple of days later when The Syracuse Opera Company visited our center to present “The Three Little Pigs” for our 3-and 4-year-olds. The teachers had prepared the children for this opportunity by reading several versions of the classic tale and had told the children that some of the play would be sung by the actors rather than spoken. We wondered how the children would react to the “big” voices of the wonderful singers, and if the 45-minute running time would prove too long for their attention spans.

The day of the performance came, and the opera singers arrived and quickly transformed one of our classrooms into a performance space with their portable set before changing into their costumes. The children were spellbound by the performance and completely drawn in.

The silly pigs were wonderfully silly; the wise pig was not too overbearing. Wolf was big and bad, but not too scary, and the pianist was wonderful.

Our teachers did not have to shush a single child or ask him or her to hold still - no one wanted to miss even a moment of the magical performance.

For a generation of children who have probably not seen a live performance of this caliber, this was a wonderful opportunity.

We are most grateful to the Allyn Foundation for underwriting the cost of the performance.

After seeing this performance, I am certain that many of our children will decide that participating in chorus or theater is a very appealing option. I am so grateful that they had this opportunity and early exposure to pique their interest in the arts.

While these experiences may seem completely unrelated, taken together, they provide an illustration of why our work with children is so meaningful and special. On behalf of everyone at Neighborhood House, I send warm wishes for a safe and happy summer.

Susan Jones is executive director for the Neighborhood House in Auburn.