It goes fast.
When you’re pregnant or a new mom, there’s no shortage of people willing to give you unsolicited advice. One of the most common phrases you’ll hear is, “Enjoy every moment. It goes so fast.”
And, oh, how true it is!
I’m now the mom of a third-grader, Kindergarten student and preschooler. Though I can get sentimental with the best of them, easily recall the milestones of their first years and vividly remember days when they were cradled in my arms with room to spare, I rarely express those emotions at bus stops or in classrooms. And it doesn’t always hit me on first or last days, at preschool graduations or in the middle of school concerts.
Instead, I’m too busy making sure everyone is organized at those events. Paying attention to the tasks at hand leaves little time for me to reflect while enjoying a cup of tea.
But sentimental moments still find a way to sneak into my day. Last night, it hit me while I was filling out papers for Dimitri’s preschool. An immunization form–of all things–inspired memories of his earliest days. I could see his face and little lips starting to pout as he received some of his first shots. Sometimes, he wouldn’t even cry. He’d just look at me as if to say, “How can you let them do this to me?” And my heart would beat me black and blue.
He’ll be 4 years old in January, and I have no idea how we ended up here already. Surely, those sleepless nights led to longer days, so how have the years passed so quickly?
I’m excited for all of their new beginnings. Their joy is palpable and it keeps me from wanting the “old days” back. My nature is one of forward motion and progress. The relentless optimism inside me instinctively believes what lies ahead is always better than what lies behind.
Even though I’m loosening my embrace and ushering them toward all the new adventures that await, there will never be time I won’t wish they were still in my arms.