The days are long, but the years are short.

November 11, 2015

Rocco and V

 

Double dip

 

motherhood
 

I was up late last night watching Rocco drift off to sleep.
Taking it all in. His dimpled hands, his curled fingers, and the way his lips pucker from the weight of his cheeks….and I began to wonder…

I thought about how many hours I had spent feeding and holding my babies.
More than I surely will ever remember.

I thought about how many baths I have given.
Hundreds, and yet I will only remember a handful.

I thought about how many diapers Gabe and I have changed.
More than we could ever keep track of and thankfully not remember.

I wonder how many sandwiches I’ve made or apples I have sliced.
Impossible to remember how many.

I wonder how many books we’ve read.
Thousands at least, but more than we could ever keep in memory.

I thought about how many prayers we have said with our children at night.
Countless to be sure….but I can’t recall all of them for the life of me.

Time is a meanie sometimes. It seems to steal away the most precious days of my children’s lives, and at the same time linger a little too long at 5pm when you have cleaned up one too many messes and lost your cool more than you care to admit.

A friend of mine shared this quote:
“The days are long, but the years are short.”

And then it clicked. As I was watching Rocco sleep and cursing time…. it all made sense. These little daily rituals of cleaning, feeding, and caring are all working towards something more meaningful than we can fathom in a seemingly insignificant moment. These routines are but a flash in this short life on earth. And if we choose to put more than a hurried rush into them, we just might see their worth. They will be moments and days that amount to very full years. Years that carry our children in the darkest and brightest of their days, that create a safe haven to lean into when they are missing home, a  solid rock to stand on when they need reminding where they came from, and a clear path for them to walk when the road divides. I think I will try a little harder tonight to slow the routines and make them count.

 

Leave a Comment

  • This was so lovely. I needed to read this today. The days are very long sometimes. When my little babes finally fall asleep all I can do is look in awe at the blessings they are. I feel bad about losing my cool or raising my voice. I can do better because I don’t want that to be what these little remember.

  • love this, and needed it today. I have a 3 month old and a 2.5 year old, sometimes I find myself wishing time away and then I think about how quickly it passes. How soon I will miss the snuggles and all the sweetness

    http://www.confessionsofafrumpymommy.com.

  • Thank you for this post! I just recently noticed how I’ve been inundated with negative memes, articles, blog posts, etc. that relate to kids. I’m now weeding them all out.

    Your post, on the other hand, is one I will be keeping for those times I find myself cursing time and repetition! Thank you so much for your refreshingly positive view on children!

  • Thank you thank you thank you for your POSITIVE and heartfelt messages, here and (especially!) on Instagram. It is refreshing to see, and I look forward to your gorgeous photos and even more beautiful sentiments. <3

  • Miranda Staniforth

    Thank you for these words. After a hard morning with my little boys I felt cross & worn out. It’s always so interesting how & what God uses to remind us of his truth & how everyday ceremonies can be leading to bigger & more eternal outcomes x

    • So well said Miranda! It’s good to be reminded that all our efforts both big and small will amount to something much bigger than we can fathom!

  • This is so beautiful!!

  • It is so beautiful! Your babies are so cute!! What you are saying are so true, sometimes we really ignore the daily detail that is going to lead to something great, and people don’t really appreciate what simple things have give to us. Thank you so much for this great post!

    Vik
    http://suckerscloset.com

  • steph nelsen

    yes. all of this

  • This made me cry. Thank you for the beautiful reminder.

  • I love this – even for life without kids. I am currently in a phase of moving to the UK and there are a lot of adjustments.. lots of things to learn, become accustomed to, etc. Even in this kind of phase, the days can seem challenging but I know it will go so fast! There is so much joy to pay attention to.

    The Rossetto Blog

  • I almost cried with this. It seems like a poem, so well written and exactly what happens in life. As a mom-to-be (soon!) it is always good to learn from other mothers, and to start appreciating those little moments with the children. One day, they will be old and gone out of the house!!
    xo
    http://www.dearbabymj.com

  • This is such a great post. My husband and I were reflecting on this same thing a few nights ago as we realized that our youngest just turned 14 months and we have no clue when we’ll have another young baby in our home and all of a sudden we felt so sad at how fast it all seems to go in hindsight but in the middle of it all it seems like the most strenuous thing ever. It’s definitely made us more aware, and has reminded us to savor all the small (and sometimes overwhelming) moments.

    Paige
    http://thehappyflammily.com

  • I never thought of it that way but it’s so true!! Days are so so long and years are so short! Time flies but way too fast.

    Love,
    Julie @ http://www.xfallenmoon.com

  • This is beautiful.

  • Very Well Said. . .

Copyright © 2024 In Honor Of Design powered by chloédigital