I went for a walk with one of my best friends last week. The neighborhood she currently lives in is my old neighborhood. We were walking along very familiar sidewalks. At one point, mid-conversation, I started to cry. I realized that fifteen years ago, I had walked those exact sidewalks with my daughter in a stroller. I could picture what she looked like, what I looked like. I could feel the stroller handle in my hands. I could see myself bending down to pick up a sippy cup she had tossed out, to pick up dolly. I could hear myself talking to her in baby talk, pointing out the leaves and the houses and the cars going by. I also realized that fifteen years ago I had found out I was pregnant with my son.
Fifteen years ago.
Do you remember fifteen years ago? Where were you in life? What were you doing? Who were you with? What did you love?
You can picture it, right? Fifteen years can feel like just moments ago. Because, basically, it was. Fifteen years ago my babies were babies…and now, fifteen years later, my babies are both taller than me…and will be moving out in what feels like weeks.
And in fifteen years? In fifteen years my daughter will be thirty. I will have a thirty-year-old daughter. Which will make me…well, not thirty.
Okay, what’s my point?
My point is this…it goes by so very fast. Like, it’ll take your breath away kind of fast. Really. I know people tell you this. But really.
So this month, as we’re in the middle of fall, I’ve only got two pieces of advice for you, sweet ones.
Don’t overbook. Give yourself actual stay-at-home days to actually stay…at…home. Don’t rush ahead. Don’t overschedule. Just live. Just rest. Just be. Just breathe. Just love those little ones.
Soak it all in. Even the hard stuff. Journal. Burn memories into your brain. Ask God to help you remember, to help you enjoy it, to help you be more grateful.
It’ll go by like that. It’s going to, there’s no stopping it. But you can linger. You can remember. You can enjoy. You can be grateful. You can love.
(c) Elisabeth K. Corcoran, 2012
Elisabeth is mom to Sara (15-1/2) and Jack (14). She loves spending time with her kids, her friends, reading and writing. She is the author of At the Corner of Broken & Love: Where God Meets Us in the Everyday; One Girl, Third World: One Woman’s Journey into Social Justice; He Is Just That Into You: Stories of a Faithful God who Pursues, Engages, and Has No Fear of Commitment; In Search of Calm: Renewal for a Mother’s Heart; and Calm in My Chaos: Encouragement for a Mom’s Weary Soul. All these books can be purchased on Amazon.com in paperback or Kindle.
Visit her website at www.elisabethcorcoran.com and her blog.
You can follow her on Twitter at ekcorcoran or friend her on Facebook.
If you are in a difficult marriage or find yourself going through a difficult divorce, I have created two private groups on Facebook that I would like to invite you to. Simply email me at elisabethkcorcoran@gmail.com, let me know if you're interested in the married group or separated/divorced group, then send me a friend request on Facebook. If you're in need of some encouragement, I invite you to join us.
Elisabeth is a proud Member of Redbud Writer's Guild.
Publication date: October 4, 2012