Having become a mother recently myself, I now can appreciate all the work and time and love that my mom invested in me.
And there must have been times that she was exhausted and utterly spent as she cared for me and my sisters, but I don’t really remember that part of my childhood, just as my daughter will probably never remember the tired sighs and almost robotic-like motions that get me from 5:30 AM to bedtime.
Every. Single. Day.
But the other day, I sat down with my 7-month-old in the rocking chair, no doubt to sooth a bumped head or to rock her to sleep, and I just happened to get a good sniff of her hair.
Baby hair is not like yours or mine…it is softer, finer, silkier. And the smell was unlike anything that Johnson & Johnson could put into a bottle. It was HER smell. All the things that she is made of (and maybe a little rice cereal, too?)
I took that moment and cataloged it in my crazy, nascar-like brain that whirls around at lightning speed 18 hours of the day.
I stopped and savored that smell, drinking in the beauty of it, and subsequently, my baby girl.
And I thought to myself, that no matter how many more children God gives us someday, not one of them will be exactly like the one that I am comforting in my arms right now. They all will be unique. Hand-crafted by an infinite, loving Creator. Individual. Special.
And they all will grow up and leave our little nest before I can process what is happening.
If I am too busy, too robotic, too focused on dinner, too focused on messes, too focused on ME, then I will miss these special moments. The ones that take my breath away and make me want to keep breathing, all at the same time.
I want to encourage you as moms and dads out there, from my heart to yours, to drink in your children. Savor them. File away their silly moments in your brain and take the time to cherish them as you raise them to adulthood.
It’s like planting a tree, really. You choose a spot, dig in the dirt, plant the seeds, and walk away?? No! You water, and weed, and train, and support, and watch them grow and spread out and root themselves to something solid and firm.
Treasure those moments, mom and dad. They are precious!