Don't Blink - They'll Be Grown Before You Know It!

Little did I know when I thought of writing this, that this week would be officially "daughter's week". Convenient, I think...however I don't just have 2 amazingly wonderful daughters, but I also have 2 amazingly wonderful sons. So, I think it should be officially "child week". :) At least for this blog. I find it hauntingly humorous at times, how people will tell you when you're children are young, not to take it for granted, because when you blink, they'll be grown. I remember in the early years, when Emily and Christopher were young, one of my best friends, who is older then I, told me this. At the time, I thought for sure I would be in the toddler stage forever - but - somehow - I blinked...

As a mother, it doesn't matter how old your children are, they are still your babies. Though you may not be able to hold them in your arms - skin to skin - like when they were first born, you forever long to. I beleive for the child, no matter the age, there will also never be any comparison to a mother's touch, a mother's hug, a mother's voice. They say for soldiers who are dying on the battle field, many times some of their last words will be about their mother.

In 1997 there was a song called "Butterfly Kisses" that came out right around the time Emily was born. Never has there been a time when this song is played that tears don't flow down both my husband's and my face. The thought of your little girl or little boy growing up, learning to ride a bike, loosing their first teeth, becoming a teenager, and then eventually getting married and having kids of their own is at times overwhelming...though totally natural. In fact, if they didn't grow, we would say that something was wrong.

Sometimes we get lost in the growing process. When we're right in the middle of the hard stages, like I mentioned before, we think they will never end. (You could apply this to every part of your life) For me, I would notice this a lot during vacations...you know, when you came home and felt like you needed a vacation because you went on vacation. For Sean and I, in was inevitable that we would get in a fight every family camp, every 4th of July coast trip, and every picnic...because it was so hard to try and do everything you felt like you needed to do to make everybody happy, when the only thing you wanted to do was actually relax a little bit. But, things change...and like we are experiencing now, they get older. There's ups and downs, isn't there?

What would I say to do today? Today, take the time to think about and look at your children. Ponder them... No matter if there little, big, or possibly still in the womb, and ask the Lord how you can be a blessing to them. The saddest thing for me would be to one day wake up and be full of regret for the times I didn't say I loved them. For the times I didn't stop my busyness and hug them or talk with them. Take time to look at their growth and accopmlishments (no matter what age) and tell them that you're proud of them. It is so important that you do this... before you blink.