The future doesn’t tap us on the shoulder and gently whisper, “Your little girl is growing up. This stage isn’t going to last much longer.” No. Later simply shows up one day, unannounced and with an in-your-face pronouncement: “Yuck, mom! Why did you buy me a pink shirt?! I don’t wear pink anymore! That’s so babyish.”
These sudden endings crystallize the truly fleeting nature of the time with our children.
Busy days pass without notice — and turn into months and years. We can’t freeze time. Kids grow up. Change is a part of life. What can keep me up at night is what I’ve missed along the way.
I spent too many years consumed by “shoulds” and “ought tos” — driven by a need to please, do and go. I can tell you this: Overcommitment is the enemy of relationship. A frenzied pace doesn’t allow for unhurried moments with children or the ability to be fully present — physically and mentally — with our children. We desperately need God’s leading as we raise and guide our children. Constant chaos drowns out the silence needed to hear His voice.
My doll maven is now 18 years old. And if I could give one message to the mother of a fairy princess, it would be this: Slow down. Whatever you think is so important, more often than not, it can wait. Your princess won’t.
Yes, deep down, she’ll always be a princess — even if she no longer dresses like one. But “poof!” — before you know it — the tutu will be tucked away. And the dollhouses will be abandoned and forced to look for new tenants.
We’re wise to enjoy the magic while it lasts.
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