In the last few weeks, Baby has developed a huge interest in picture books and loves to pretend that he’s reading. Sometimes he’ll pick up a book and ask to sit in my lap and then run his fingers over the words as if he’s speed reading. He’s a little ball of energy and never sits in my lap for very long so I’m treasuring these fleeting moments.
Yesterday, I read this post by a mother whose two year old daughter, Layla Grace, is dying of cancer. She writes about how she now cherishes those moments when her daughter used to interrupt everything she was doing around the house, about how she used to look forward to her nap times because it meant that she’d be able to get things done around the house. She writes,
But I WANT interruptions. I WANT Layla to be under my feet asking for cookies. I WANT to hear her playing with her toys. I WANT to take 45 minutes to unload the dishwasher because she keeps trying to help. For every time I uttered the words “I just can’t get anything done with these kids under my feet all day” I am eternally regretful. The days that I looked forward to naptime so I could get a grocery list made, or finally fold all the piles of laundry…I regret those days too. If I could do it all again, I’d enjoy EVERY SINGLE WAKING MOMENT I had with her. I would never wish for her to sit still or take a nap or go to bed early. I would never look forward to the days when she could sit through an entire episode of Dora silently. I would treasure every second with her.
Reading this from her perspective makes me realize again that every moment I have with Baby, with my husband, with my family, and with my friends, is such an incredible gift from God.
I read a tweet the other day (which was intended to be semi-humorous) postulating what would happen if the world ended right now and I was playing Farmville. (Note: I have nothing against Farmville. I’m paraphrasing directly from the tweet.) It made me think a little bit harder about the things I spend my time doing. If the world were to end right now, or today, or next week, or next month… what would I want to be doing?
Sometimes I take these moments for granted. I act as if there’s going to be an infinite supply of time. But the reality is that I don’t know how much time I have with these precious people. Reading that mother’s post yesterday reminded me that God has blessed me so abundantly…. that I need to treasure these fleeting moments with my family. And that I need to thank Him for letting me be a part of their lives.
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