You're Gonna Miss This!

Okay, I have to admit that whenever anyone tells me, “enjoy this, ‘cause you’ll miss it when it’s gone”…I secretly think to myself: “Whatever!”

Miss the messes? The fighting? The trying to get kids to do chores? The temper tantrums? The whining? The complaining? The homework? The noise? Dishes? Laundry? Making dinner every stinking night? Yeah, I’m gonna miss that, alright! NOT!!!

But the other day, something happened…There I was, minding my own business, sitting reverently in the church pews listening intently to the speaker. In front of me sat a cute little family, with two little girls and one cute baby boy. I watched with amusement as the littlest girl drew pictures on the back of the Sacrament Meeting program and then proudly explained to her mom what she had drawn. The mom reminded her to be reverent, as moms always do, and then looked at her drawings with a patient but tired smile. Then, as my eyes glanced upon the pig-tailed head of the older girl, I suddenly felt the walls were closing in, like I was being sucked down the rabbit hole! I got a little choked up and my eyes welled up with tears. Where did the time go? Wasn’t it just yesterday that I was that mom? That I had a gaggle of little ones crowding me for my attention, clamoring to climb up on my lap? Now I have two young adult children, a teenager, and one little boy who is quickly growing up. Though it sounds cliché, I think it is absolutely true that the time does go by so fast! I like the stage of life that we are at now, but still can't help wondering where did the time go? How did this happen? I glanced away for a moment and whoosh, the years flew by! And though there are things that I won’t miss (see above) about those tumultuous, chaotic childhood years. There are decidedly things I will miss. Those are the memories of being my children’s mother that I will hold forever in my heart.