It goes too fast. Every cliché thing you hear parents say, is all true. The days are so intense and long, but the years fly by way too quickly. I remember teaching my 6 year old how to ride his balance bike, which feels like just yesterday. But now his 3 year old brother is riding it, so obviously it was few years ago.
They are little for such a short amount of time. And looking at this picture, and being in that moment yesterday, I’m getting all teared up. Too fast, slow down LIFE! It’s not surprising how time has a way of slipping through our fingers. We can’t help but get caught up in the day-to-day chaos.
Because the rest the weekend is breaking up fights, drying tears from tantrums and meltdowns, and constant negotiations. So at night we fall into bed utterly exhausted and we don’t know how we will do the next day. I know I’m not saying anything new hear. Parenting is such a ball of emotions!
As parents, we are all too familiar with the feeling of wanting to hit the pause button on life. To freeze those precious moments in time and hold onto them forever. We want to bottle up the giggles, the cuddles, the firsts, and the lasts. We want to cherish every milestone, every triumph, and every bump in the road.
But, if you are like me, we also desperately want a break. I want my kiddos to not fight and argue with each other over everything. (I remember doing this with my sister our entire childhood, heck we still fight). I don’t want everything to be a constant negotiation. And I want to not feel guilty that sometimes my favourite place is on the couch with them cuddled in my arms, watching a movie. Because they are quiet! Now I know why my mom’s favourite thing to do with us was watch movies.
To all the parents out there feeling the weight of time slipping away, but are also so tired, I see you, I feel you. I understand the ache in your heart as you watch your children grow up right before your eyes. I can’t look at photos of my kids from when they were babies, I start crying right away. But I guess that’s okay, it’s okay to miss those baby days while also marveling at the incredible little people your children are becoming. Or so says all the positive people on the internet.
-Tonya Cherry-