We have some friends that just moved from their current house to another one about 10 blocks away. Upon hearing of the move of her cute friend in the family she looked up at me quite worried and upset.
"What?! They moved? Oh no!! Will I still see June?"
"Yes, of course" I replied, "The house is pretty close to the old one."
She makes of face of derision and confusion and wonders out loud "Why in the world would they move just to the next door house?"
I try not to laugh at her sweet innocence and how the world is so small to her that close must mean next door since far would mean all the way to Salt Lake City or if someone gets really brave, maybe Disneyland.
"Not quite that close" I reply finally
Relief floods over her face "Oh, well, ok then. I want to play with her soon."
Now I remember why I keep having kids, moments like these lighten your heart and remove any callousness or cynicism you start to develop as an adult interacting with a world that can seem callous or cynical. We need childlike bursts of innocence, emotion, and enthusiasm in our lives.
Yes I know that many moments, and even days, seem hard and long when you have a houseful of kids, but as I've said before, one good moment can wipe out a hundred hard ones. I read a quote recently and it sums up parenthood perfectly..."The days are long but the years are short"
Sure sometimes it feels like there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done, but parenthood is a tough gig. When you are dealing with tantrums, picky palates, being pulled in 10 different directions there are days where it feels like bedtime will never come, for the kids or you. Then all of a sudden your baby is turning 15 and you fumble as you try to grasp back those years, if only for a moment. Believe me, it was no picnic when my oldest was a toddler, but I have a million moments that I look back on that warm my heart until it feels as though it is truly growing 3 sizes. (Grinch reference)
It is the bittersweet reminiscing that allows you to feel happiness in their growth and the life they have ahead of them, but the loss of innocence, childhood, and being able to keep your little ones close to you. But time trudges on no matter how much you pull at the hands of time trying to slow it down or turn back the years, and you have to keep finding joy in the moments, cause teenage-hood ain't no picnic either, at least not every second. Still there are still many many moments that warm my heart and I have to cherish those because it won't be too long before my sweet kiddos start to fly the coop and make nests of their own. In the meantime we live day to day, experiencing the frustrations, heartaches, happiness, and fun of having a family full of teenagers, toddlers, and everything in between. And each night I think back on the day and find at least one heartwarming moment or peek in on my sleeping kids because when they are asleep all innocence creeps back over their faces and they are angels in my eyes.
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