“Enjoy it. It goes so fast.”
When people use to say this to me, I wanted to roll my eyes. It seemed easy for them to say. Their hands were empty.
Meanwhile, while in the throes of balancing things like diapers and snacks, chasing toddlers non-stop, there were few moments to sit—let alone relax enough—to enjoy it.
While I was in the season when everyone constantly needed something, the mothers of older kids seemed so relaxed, well-rested.
Summertime with littles meant no breaks, from sunrise to sunset, loading kids in and out of carseats, managing moods, tantrums, and exhaustive sleep schedules.
So. Long.
Only, in a blink of an eye…
I feel the transition, nostalgia when I see a young mom chasing their toddler. Hands full.
You see, what I didn’t know back then is that those moms who talked about “enjoying it” were right.
The long, tiresome days fly by at lightning speed. Truth is, what is universal as your kids get older is perspective.
Funny though, parenting is not less busy, often it’s even busier and I still don’t enjoy every part of it either; but there are more opportunities to appreciate the experiences because you understand with each passing day that these moments are becoming fewer and further in between.
I still wouldn’t say to a young parent who is overwhelmed and exhausted that they should enjoy every moment of it while their hands are literally overflowing. But, I might think it.
What I know now is that it does go faster than you can imagine, even on the longest days.
We don’t really understand that—until we do.
***
