The Years Are Short

I’ve almost forgotten what it it was like to hold Sophie as a new baby, or what it felt like to pat her back gently as she fell asleep in my arms. I don’t remember her baby smell, the curve of her tiny toddler face, or the sound of her 8 year old voice. Over 20 years have come and gone in a light speed flash.

I wish I had savored those seconds, moments, and hours that seemed so extremely hard. You know, the little years? Because like it or not, they DO really go by in a blink.  My girl is now 21 and getting married in 39 days.

It’s not that I’m not happy for Sophie because I am. It’s not that I hoped she’d live in my house forever because I know that this is natural and good.  It’s definitely not that I don’t approve of her choice of a husband because we love Kyle immensely!  It’s just that it’s all happening so fast and the woman that stands before me now is ALWAYS going to be that tiny baby, in my eyes.

I’m not sure why, but one of the memories ingrained in my mind is a trip to Target with her when she was a few month old. She was strapped in her car seat in the cart and I was browsing the clothing section. I would ask her if she liked certain things and she would smile, wiggle, and coo. I remember being so content with her and loving every second of that day and of being her momma.

There were hard times, for sure. Fights with her brother, struggling to get her to do school, the few teenage years were she chose to go astray. But I know now that I wouldn’t change a thing. Being her mom is one of the greatest joys of my life.

Why do I say all of this?  It is because I want to give an encouragement to you moms of littles. Yes I know times can be so hard when kiddos are little but please, please take it all in. Write it down. Study the lines of your babies face. Take videos often. Take ALL the pictures because tomorrow they will be grown and gone and, as my mentor put it so wisely and well, things will never be the same again.

They days are long, but the years are short.