“Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, savor you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it will not always be so. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky, and want more than all the world your return.” – Mary Jean Irion, Yes, World
I’m an introvert through and through. Most days I’m scheming how to find just a few moments alone to clear my mind and organize my thoughts. I’m so thankful that I can be home with my little ones full time, but having to talk to and interact with a 3-year-old and not-quite-2-year-old all day long can be emotionally tiring for me (as I’m sure it is for most people).
Some days, after mediating yet another brotherly battle over something excruciatingly small, I feel brittle, stretched beyond my natural abilities, and loathe the sound of my own voice. When those days overwhelm me in their everyday-ness, I try to remind myself that someday, I will miss the smallness of our world together, and the thousands of sweet moments when all they want is for me to sit next to them, talk to them, notice them.
Lately I’ve had a few mothers of teenagers confide in me that they would trade the older years (with all the drama and emotional complexities they bring) for the toddler years in a heartbeat. Granted, they have years of distance from those younger, physically demanding stages. But I think there is something to this. We all yearn for a simpler time, an easier time, don’t we? Whether we long for the foggy, rose-colored seasons of the past, or for the yet-to-be-experienced seasons of the future, it can be challenging to be thankful for the season we’re in.
Over the last few years, the quote above has reminded me how brief and precious these years are and to be thankful for the simplicity of our lives, right at this moment. I hope you find some comfort in it, however you spend your everyday.
AWEIGH WITH ME 