Tonight I had the opportunity to spend some time with old friends as we celebrated another one of us “kids” becoming a mom. As I looked around the room at faces that have known me since I was a little girl, I realized just how quickly life goes by. Some of the women had already had their days as new moms and were now sharing stories about their grandbabies. Others were sitting around laughing about the antics of their toddlers and looking a little bleary-eyed from late nights with their infants. And I even saw a couple of blushing brides, hurrying off from the party to tend to some wedding business.
How quickly life seems to change! One minute, we are children, chasing after each other on the playground and dreaming of the day when we will be old enough to do all the wonderful things that grownups get to do. Then before we blink, we are having children of our own, praying and hoping for their future and dreaming of what they will be like when they are grown. Finally, one day, we are grandparents, holding our grandbabies, praying for our grown children, and reminiscing over days long gone.
As I pondered over the evening’s events, I suddenly wanted to hold my children a little longer, rock them a little bit more, and sing to them as they fell into sleep. I rushed around today and didn’t take the time to read to them or play with them because I was too busy cleaning the house, catching up on emails, doing whatever it is we moms do during the day! Now I regret that I wasted those precious moments, so tonight I did take the time to sing to my kids as I helped them to bed. I let Hannah tell me everything she had been dying to tell me all day. And I savored the sweet kisses from Ephraim as I placed him in his crib.
I have just a moment to hold my babies before they are grown and having children of their own. Just a moment that I can cherish as Hannah confides all of her hopes and dreams in me. Just a moment of peanut butter and jelly kisses and sticky hugs. Just a moment before they leave to make homes of their own.
Thank you, Lord, for this moment!
katiecruicesmith.com 