Time is a funny thing, especially if you are a mother. I drove past a baseball field this morning and saw the kids in their uniforms. One boy caught my eye as he ran toward his teammates. I remember those days when my boys were young and doing those things. How can it seem like only yesterday and so very long ago at the same time?
Time is a funny thing, especially if you are a mother, in that you spend eighteen to twenty-plus years (depending on how many kids you have and their age difference) in a whirlwind of activities. When they’re young your time is mostly spent taking care of their basic needs and keeping them from harm. Times seems to drag during that sleep-deprived era causing you to wonder if things will ever change and you can take a shower in peace.
Time is a funny thing, especially if you are a mother, juggling appointments and social events that seem to have a life of their own. It’s hard not to long for the days when the kids were young, or wish for the days when they can drive, all the while, knowing how scary that will be.
Time is a funny thing, especially if you are a mother, when the day does come and your older kid or kids get their first jobs, earning their own money. How did that happen, you wonder every once in awhile, and who could possibly think your child was capable of handling so much responsibility?
Time is a funny thing, especially if you are a mother, and your kid brings home his or her first love for you to meet. They think this will last forever, because first loves tend to be intense. If you even hint that it might not they get a little bent out of shape.
Time is a funny thing, especially if you are a mother, when your kid goes away to school or moves out to share a place with a friend. And suddenly you wonder how it happened so quickly. You knew it would in a vague sort of way. You remember how you rolled your eyes at the parents of adult children who told you to savor the moments and cherish the everyday grind because it passes so quickly. They must have forgotten how long the days could be when their kids were young.
Time is a funny thing, especially if you are a mother, when your kid gets engaged, buys a house, becomes a parent and moves to the other side of the country.
You saw it coming and you tried to prepare as best you could. Why didn’t you cherish the time? Where did it go? How can those years now be a blur when they were the most important years of your life? The distinct, important memories blending into one.
Sometimes the missing bites hard and the longing is a heavy weight to carry.
Time is a funny thing, especially if you are a mother.