One Day at a Time

Where does time go? It seems like only yesterday, I had three babies in diapers, and the mountain of laundry in my basement threatened to lift the house off its foundation! Some how, amidst the long days filled with tears and triumphs, dirty laundry, dishes, burned dinners or pots boiling over, girls with mismatched socks, or not socks because piles of unfolded laundry cluttered every piece of furniture in the family room, kids grew up.

I still have little kids, so life continues to be rather chaotic at times. But, most of my children can buckle their own seatbelts and get dressed by themselves. I change diapers for only one, and even have lots of help with that. Other people can do the dishes and put a load of clothes in the washer, so it frees me up to take care of other details, like working on my blogs. I still have little ones around, but recently I've begun to notice how short my time is with my older girls!

Not too long ago, someone made the statement that the days are long, but the years are short. It is SO true! This is not a new or profound statment, but when you begin to see the reality in your own life, suddenly it takes on a whole new significance. My children are growing, one day at a time.

The dishes are piling up, clutter still rules my laundry room and things I started before Christmas still aren't done. But instead of being anxious about things that won't matter in ten years, I am seeing how vital it is to enjoy making memories that will be precious for a lifetime. I still struggle with the ghost of June Cleaver, the phantom "perfect mother" who lives next door, and the tension of trying to keep a clean house while investing in the hearts of my children. But, each day that brings me closer to that perfect clean house also brings me closer to the empty house. And, just my older daughters "got big" somewhere along the way, all my children will leave home someday. If I can embrace the days, maybe the years won't fly by quite so fast.