When my family and I first moved into Lakeside Apartments near Lake Carnegie, we didn’t know anyone. But each year since, more and more families have arrived. Now, I can’t walk my dog without running into a friendly, familiar face. When I crack my window for fresh air while studying, I hear the laughter of children at the playground, and sometimes I can’t help but laugh, too—it’s contagious.
The families in Lakeside come from all over the world, and we find common ground on that playground. It’s where parents meet to vent about the academic rigor of Princeton while navigating the challenges of raising little people. It's where our children form some of their most meaningful friendships. And it's where families from across the globe realize that we aren’t so different after all. We’ve made friends from California, Tennessee, Russia, Israel, Germany, and India, to name a few.
For many student families, our extended family is far away. Since most of our children’s birthdays happen during the semester, our relatives can't always fly in to visit. So, we invite our Lakeside community instead. In the last year, I have been to more children’s birthday parties than at any other time in my life, and I am grateful for every one. What is worth celebrating more than joining a family to express their love on the day someone was born?
After reflecting on my own childhood birthdays—playing with my cousins, eating cake, and running around screaming—I realized these parties are practically identical to the ones we throw here. They are a shared tradition that brings people together to celebrate something—anything. I've come to understand that traditions, from birthday parties to family gatherings, are essential for human flourishing. This is one of the things, in my humble opinion, that all cultures get right. You can be from anywhere in the world, but engaging in a familiar tradition can make any place feel like home.
There’s something special about these moments because they connect us to the activities of our ancestors; they seem to transcend time. Children run around and play while adults catch up on the latest gossip—a simple, yet profoundly pleasurable, experience. In these moments, oversaturated with chaos and joy, we surely share a connection with generations past.
I can imagine a simpler time when our ancestors did the same. They sat around cauldrons, pots, and hearths, sharing stories about their lives and what was to come. They talked about how fast time was going by and how quickly the children were growing up. In these ways, not much has changed. And I hope it never does. These are the memories our children will carry—the laughter in the playground, the shared cakes, the global community that taught them, long before they could understand the words, what it means to belong.