Take the time to slow down
Ever since I became a mom, there is one thing I keep saying and hearing from other moms too.
“Where does the time go?”
- Trying to treasure every second with Dylan as a newborn.
And really, where does it go? It feels like just yesterday when I first held my eldest daughter Emelyn in my arms and cried tears of happiness and now this is the year she will start school and turn 5. It feels like just yesterday, when we found out that God blessed us with our 2nd daughter, Maliya and we made the announcement to everyone on Emelyn’s 1st birthday. It feels like just yesterday, when I tried my best to hold onto the moments of cuddling and smelling a newborn again, my 3rd child and only son Dylan. Having 3 kids in 3 years happened so quickly that it’s almost a blur at times. But it’s those precious moments and mental images in my head that I try to hold onto, as they grow right before my eyes.
Earlier tonight I had another moment of reflection as I put my kids to bed. They’ve been having some difficulty sleeping since we are all getting over being sick. Maliya was crying and very uneasy, so to comfort her I rubbed her back (which she always asks me to do) and sang her to sleep. I’ve always loved to make up my own songs as a child and now as an adult I love doing it for my kids. So I sang her a lullaby that I made up off the top of my head, “Go to sleep my darling baby girl, go to sleep…rest your eyes so you can feel better…” and so forth. As I continued to sing to her, I suddenly got an overwhelming burst of emotion and started to cry as she dozed off to dreamland.
I was holding her hand and remembering when she was just a baby and wondered yet again, “Where did the time go?” With every birth, I tried to remind myself of how fast it went with my other children and to treasure every single second. But somehow, it went faster and faster after each baby. I have a tendency to get so caught up in the everyday madness of having 3 little ones that, I forget to take a moment to breathe. Soon they will all be in school and I won’t be with them 24/7 anymore. I’m so fortunate to have the opportunity to be with them for every milestone since they were born.
I’ve finally realized the message behind my random emotional outbursts…it’s a reminder to take the time to slow down. They won’t be this little forever, one day my daughters will want to cruise the mall without their mommy/shopping buddy and one day my son will get embarrassed when I smother him with kisses in front of his friends. Until then, I’m going to live it up in the best way possible!!!
If you can relate at all with how I’m feeling, please share your thoughts and experiences with me?
~Cole