Thursday, June 5, 2008

Little Hands


Sometimes as a mom of young kids I can get so frustrated by the little things around the house. Cleaning seems like a revolving door -- it's literally never finished. I'm sure many of you can relate to that, you know, the rumpled rugs, the toothpaste on the counter, the sand dumped on the floor, the food under the highchair. Now that we're officially done having kids, I tend to remind myself -- two more years and no more diapers, or in three more years all the kids will be in school, or one day I won't have to worry about doing up everyone's seatbelts for them anymore.

Truth is, I tell myself those things to keep away the temptation to have more kids. For a mom who's been so wrapped up in caring for babies for the past 6 years, I can foresee it will be hard to let go -- to let those last little ones go off to school one day. So I remind myself of all the positive aspects of growing up. Yes, I'll have a lot more freedom and time for me. That's a nice thing to look forward to.

But then I have to balance myself, and remember to really enjoy the moments I have right now. Most of you have probably heard the song Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman -- I've been listening to that song and taking it to heart. My kids are growing so fast, and I need to slow down, take time to show them love while they're with me because I won't have them forever. That message really hit home when I heard the news that Steven Curtis Chapman's five year old daughter was killed recently. We can't take anything for granted, especially with these precious gifts-on-loan we call our children.

So when I see a little handprint on my clean window, I'll remind myself those won't be there forever, and I'll think about how that little hand feels nestled into mine.

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