9-25-22 Soak It Up
Quote: “Someday I’ll look back and say, “I blinked and they were grown.” So, I hope to also say, “But I saw it all. I soaked it in. I was there for it. And it was great.” – Emily Roussell
It is so cliche to say that our children grow up in the blink of an eye but it is so true. One minute we are getting them ready for kindergarten graduation and the next minute they are ordering caps and gowns for their high school commencement! One day we are installing a car seat and the next day they are passing their driver’s training test. We snap our fingers and they’ve grown right up on us, before our very eyes.
You know another quote that really sums it up? The days are long but the years are short. This is so true! There are certain seasons of my sons’ lives that I thought we’d never survive. Diapers and potty training days were tough on the wallet and our mental states. The sports uniform washing and game chauffeuring make us feel like we’re hamsters spinning on a wheel. Now we’ve got 2 teens and 1 tween and the hormones are raging. Every new season seems harder than the last yet we somehow come out stronger after surviving a rough patch. The days seem to drag on yet the years fly by.
One of the best pieces of parenting advice I could ever give is one that my family modeled beautifully. They didn’t say it – they showed it. Every track meet, cross country race, piano recital, graduation, performance, classroom, and stage – they showed me what it was like to support someone. And not just the big stuff – the small things too. The hug for a broken heart, the encouraging words before a test, the long talks before bedtime.
They were present. What a present it was to me for them to simply be present!
I want my kids to look back and to acknowledge that while I couldn’t be at every event they performed or played, I was there for the majority of them. That their Dad and I made them a priority. That I soaked up every minute I could because I just couldn’t get enough! Every child deserves to feel loved and valued.
I remember my son Carter saying to me once, “Mom, eye contact.” while I was talking to him. I was not doing a good job of multitasking texting on my phone and listening to him speak. He totally called me out and used one of my own lines on me! But he was saying, “Choose me.” We have to intentionally make the choice to give undivided attention to whoever we’re with, wherever we’re at. Be present. Nobody wants to live with regrets. Show up. Be all in. They may not tell you how much they appreciate you but deep down you know they do!
The Bible says in Proverbs 21:5a, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance…” If we are intentional with our time, we shouldn’t miss much! That may mean readjusting our priorities to fit it all in. But as this verse says, we will be overjoyed and overflowing with a surplus of memories when we make intentional plans.
Soak up every minute, hour, day, and year like a sponge!
