Cherish this very moment with your child

(From my original Blogspot)

Life really is going by faster and faster. As a child, of course your fondest dream is to grow up; to see time go by so that you can reach maturity. Everything requires a child to wait. Even a young adult waits. Waits to get married. Waits to get all of the children here. Waits to establish a career and finally get a house. But at 35, I have all of that. Now my job is to do right by it and to be happy. Because of how busy I am managing everything (kids, money, house, school, on and on...), I keep forgetting to pay attention to time, and every time I look up, another week suddenly has disappeared, or another year.

I watched my oldest son as he rushed into the back door this afternoon, a dog in one arm, getting himself a glass of water with the other. His face was flushed with outdoor play, reveling with his dog and his little brother in the clever antics of childhood. To my eyes passed a vision so quick I barely caught it. For a moment a breath caught in my throat. I saw a vision of a man, grown and wise, weighed down by responsibility and knowledge. It was he and not my little boy who was getting a drink. His back was tall and strong, his face sober with understanding. As the vision left, I once again saw my carefree son as he chatted cheerfully on his way back outside.

Dear God, let me hold on to every minute. My children will grow and be gone, and I will be left an old woman. Those inconveniences of parenthood that I, at times, despair of, will someday be my fondest wish and most pleasing memory.