So when they reach a moment when they are one step closer to that future, shouldn’t we be happy and joyful and incredibly grateful?
Tomorrow is promised to no one, and too many parents know that full well. What would that mom and dad who lost their child at Disney give to be able to put up another happy birthday post? What would I give to be able to share that the baby I lost to miscarriage has turned into a toddler or a tween or a twenty-something? What would any parent who’s lost a child at any age give to be able to announce to the world that they are turning another year older?
You know the answer: they would give anything. Anything. And the reactions to those announcements would be pure likes and loves and joy and celebration.
I’m the mom of two teenage daughters. I’ve just been sideswiped by the realization that my daughter’s senior year is happening NOW. I can’t pick my girls up or nuzzle them on my shoulder. I can–and do–hold them on my lap, but they lop over onto the chair. All of which is to say that I well understand the temptation to weep for the past and to regret all things I’ll never do with my children again.
But I did do them. I had those moments, and now I am looking forward to new seasons, new joys, new blessings in the future.
Please, mamas, savor the now. Suck the life out of every moment you can with your children, whatever their ages. Try to notice all the things you might miss down the road. Be grateful for today and the sweet pleasures it holds. But when–if–tomorrow comes, do not mourn it. It is a gift and not to be taken for granted. Make your announcement, put up your post…and then wait for others to celebrate with you.
