Don’t you just wish you could turn back the hands of time? Maybe just freeze a moment and savor its goodness for just a little bit longer?
Growing up, you may have heard adults say things like “just wait until you have kids; time just flies.” I don’t know about you, but I’d always found myself rolling my eyes in disbelief.
“No way,” I thought to myself. “Time drags by. “
I remember the days when school was out for summer break. Summers felt like a lifetime, just crawling, and although I was busy, the time seemed to tick by very slowly.
It wasn’t until I graduated college and got my first full-time job that I noticed the clock seemed to speed up a bit, ticking by at a faster pace.
You don’t realize time is passing when you’re always looking ahead. As a full-time worker, I often found myself wishing the weeks away. Wishing it was the weekend. I’d do that week after week.
Soon I found myself wishing for grander things: that ring, a house, getting married, having babies, etc.
Before I knew it, I was all grown up. I was the adult thinking, “Where did the time go?”
I sit here today, and I now have that ring. I bought that house. I married my soulmate. I have my babies. It really did go by fast.
Last week, I sent my first-born off to school for the first time. I wasn’t prepared for the waves of emotions that swept over me as she entered that school building on her very first day. Feeling so happy and so sad at the same time.
Feeling happy to see her experience something new and exciting.
Feeling sad I will get less time with her.
Feeling happy for her to make new friends.
Feeling sad to let go.
I have been so fortunate to have spent the first five years of her life with her all day, every day!
I’m realizing that letting go is probably one of the hardest things as a parent. Letting go of their hands so they can grow and become their own independent person.
Letting someone else take the reins and watch over your baby; it’s hard.
They say time is a thief. I couldn’t agree more. My eldest is in school and my brain can’t seem to compute that has finally arrived. Yet here we are.
When you first become a mom, it’s hard to adjust to this new role and it takes a lot of patience, understanding and trial and error. The lack of sleep is the absolute worst!
You will find yourself wishing for so many things those first few months and years of your new baby’s life. You can’t wait for them to:
· Sleep through the night
· Feed themselves
· Sit up unassisted
· Just crawl already
· Walk
· Say their first words
· Be able to talk to you
· Stop the tantrums
· Be potty trained
· Dress themselves
· Go to school
Before you even have a chance to realize what is going on, you’re wishing for that next step because you think it’ll be easier. Little by little they are becoming more independent. They need you less. When you come to realize this, it’s too late. As much as you’re so excited for all these things you wish in some ways you could help them get dressed again. Or you wish you could hold them on your hip when they were light as a feather.
Stop. Seriously, stop.
Just stop wishing away hard moments and enjoy them for what they are, the sweet and bittersweet parts of a life journey.
A struggle sometimes. Yes. But well worth it. And it’s something that will make you stronger in the end.
And certainly do NOT believe that things will get easier. So far, I can tell you that do NOT. When it comes to parenting, just when you think it gets easier, things change. It’s like a labyrinth and you’re just trying to find the right or easiest way to go.
Keep your head above water. We’re all in this shitstorm together. Don’t wish it away. Embrace it with open arms. Savor the moment whether it’s good or bad, easy or difficult, sorrowful or joyful.
Childhood is fleeting. And babies just don’t keep!
