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I heard a song today that really grabbed my heart. “It won’t be like this for long” by Darius Rucker. It reminded me that nothing lasts for long. We should embrace and enjoy the season of life we are in right now, and the season of life each of our children are in right now. In the song he sings about his baby girl crying, as babies do,and his wife reminding him “It won’t be like this for long.” The reality of life is our babies grow up. They grow quickly from one stage to another. Before you know it they aren’t little anymore and we can’t go back. Not that we really want to. Speaking for myself, I love the baby stage, and at times miss that stage. I need to learn to really enjoy and welcome the stages they are in. I shouldn’t dwell on the past when they were sweet little babies. Reminiscing is good and our memories are precious. But I need to remember to recognize the person they are now and enjoy this time in their life just as much as when they were a baby.

Our oldest is twelve and those years have gone by so fast. The same is true for our other children ages 9, 5, 2 and 4 months. We are going to blink and they will be grown. They will leave for college, the workforce and if the Lord willing, start a family someday. Even though some days as a parent can be challenging and just down right hard, we need to remember “It won’t be like this for long.” All of the sleepless nights, diaper changes, spit up, throw up, crying, teething,boogers, boo boo’s, whining, complaining, yelling, screaming, hitting, biting, tattletaling, picking, teasing, sassiness, attitudes, back talking, eyes rolling, feet stomping, slamming doors, first smiles, first giggles, cooing, cawing, reaching, cuddling, learning to roll, sitting up, crawling, walking, talking, rocking in the rocking chair, singing lullaby’s together, first days of school, kissing, hugging, holding hands, playing cars, Dino’s, Lego’s, dress-up, baby dolls, hair bows, long talks, reading together, being together…”It won’t be like this for long.”

I don’t want to miss the beautiful flowers for all the weeds. Our children won’t be little for long. I know we have wonderful futures to look forward to with our children as they become adults, but that is the future. And we have wonderful memories to share with our children, but that is the past. We only have today. We only have right now. We (I) need to love deeply and enjoy every second of every minute of everyday. The good days and the bad days because “It won’t be like this for long.”

I’m going to kiss my sleeping babies and burn into my memory how they look like sweet angels as they sleep, because…”It won’t be like this for long.”

Blessings!

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