This past weekend was my youngest daughter’s sixth birthday, and I was struck by just how fast life goes by. It’s a phrase we say and hear often, but sometimes we truly realize just how quickly time slips through our fingers… that’s what happened to me as I watched my beloved youngest daughter blow out the candles on her cake.
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I looked back at her as a baby, then at 1, 2, 4, 6, and so on—through all the major milestones of her young life—and my heart sank a little. Every stage she’s going through right now is precious, and I know all too well that soon she won’t need me the way she does now. I’m experiencing this right now with her older sister and brother, and that’s okay. I know it’s part of life! Kids grow up, become more independent, and develop their own little worlds that they let us into less than before. It’s normal… And that’s why I want to cherish every last little moment I have left with my youngest.
Every stage of our children’s lives is beautiful—I’m truly convinced of that. Even when they’re going through their teenage years (okay, sometimes it can be a really rough time, but it all passes), we have an important role to play as parents. We are their primary source of attachment and support, which is why we must try to maintain that connection and keep the door open, even when they talk to us less than they used to.
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What I’m getting at with all this is that we need to cherish every little family moment we have. Time flies, and I’m afraid that if I blink too quickly, I’ll inevitably miss important milestones. And I absolutely don’t want that to happen…
Have you had a similar experience? Do you feel like time is passing too quickly?