I am seriously enjoying the weather right now. Sure, it gets hot and sticky but it is glorious. Some are complaining and wishing this short, very short, too short season away. Before we know it the temperature will drop, the shorts and tank tops will be packed away and we’ll be picking apples instead of blueberries.
There is most definitely an art to learning how to enjoy the moment and not wish it away. I am particularly guilty of wishing things away when it’s the middle of February and it’s white and grey as far as I can see. But now, as we approach July, I’m doing everything I can to soak up the sun and enjoy the here and now. What about you?
I know a lot of moms struggle in the summer with having kids home all the time. Instead of enjoying the summer of ’16 you’re counting down the days until the first day of the ’16-’17 school year. I beg you, slow down. Try to gain a little perspective. I get it, days are longer and siblings are always at it, thank God for VBS, camps and playdates. And I’m sure you hear it all the time, to enjoy the moment and it may drive you bonkers to hear it again. I’ve even seen where moms are getting offended when someone tells them to enjoy it. No one is asking anyone to deny the difficulty of motherhood, but as a mom who no longer has anything but photographs of those days with little chunky hands and sloppy kisses I’m asking you to savor it.
Laugh, a lot. Breathe in deep and imprint that sweaty little boy smell into your brain. Look longer at those tear streaked faces overwhelmed with the demands of growing up and know that one day it will be the last time that you wipe those tears. My oldest is now 15 and about to start driver’s training. I swear to you that while I promised myself I would never forget, it’s very hard to remember when he fit on my lap and believed I could fix everything. My youngest is 7 and trying to find the balance of playing with My Little Pony and watching the latest teeny-bopper show on Disney. And let’s not forget the 12 year old who is rapidly approaching the teenage years and on some days his voice is ahead of the game and other days it’s still stuck in 2013. Beautiful, awkward, terrifying moments that will be gone before I know it.
Whether you’re like my dear friend who just brought home her first baby from the hospital or the mom who is packing up their newly graduated senior for college stop and take a look around, breathe in the smells, pay attention to the sounds. In a few short weeks the constant, ‘mom, what can I have to eat’ and the slamming of doors will stop and the chaos will be replaced with routine. And you will be relieved – rightfully so. I just hope with all my heart that you didn’t rush a single second of it.
