Fleeting moments

One of the most common statements that I hear from strangers (aside from "You have your hands full!" and "Your kids are so cute!") is "enjoy this time, it goes so fast." This is almost always said to me by older women, whose children are now grown. I know it to be true, but every time I hear it I try to focus a little more on just enjoying where we are right now. It's so easy to get caught up in small issues, or all of the to-do things in my life.

I had a conversation on the street with a nice woman on Saturday, who actually said all of the above statements to me. So I thought I would reflect on two moments recently where I have taken time to enjoy, knowing that the time goes so fast.

Erik. It's hard to believe my son is about to turn 6 years old. He is in that halfway spot, where he's at times all grown up, and at times still my baby boy. One of our nearly-nightly rituals is snuggles; I lie down with him when he goes to bed and we talk and snuggle for a few minutes. Earlier this year I realized that I was treating it as a chore, and as soon as I would lie down, I'd be thinking about how quickly I could get up. At the time, I resolved to enjoy it more--and most importantly to let Erik know how much I enjoy the time with just him.

So I started expressing a lot of enthusiasm every night. I would smile a huge smile, and tell him that I was so excited for the best part of my day. It paid off for me, as I actually did start looking forward to the moment. It also paid off for Erik, and recently he's really started responding to that excitement. The other night, he said, with a gleam in his eyes and a sing-songy voice, "Mom? Guess what time it is?" Now he's said that before. But this time I didn't answer, I just said, "What time is it?" He answered, with a huge smile on his face, "It's your favorite part of the day!" We enjoyed a few minutes of giggles and snuggles, and I treasured the moment where Erik knew how treasured he was.

Anders. Anders, at 3 1/2, is still in many ways my baby. He was sick last week, though, and we spent the better part of 3 days at home together. We spent a lot of time reading, snuggling while he watched videos, and playing together. Even now, we're busy most mornings with preschool or other activities, and it was special to have the time together with nowhere else we needed to go.

Anders still nurses to sleep (as well as still nursing a few other times in the day). There are times when it drives me absolutely crazy, and I can't wait for him to wean. But there are also times when I'm able to relax and enjoy the moment. I've been nursing for almost 6 years, and the bulk of the time I will spend nursing my children is nearly done. I don't know for sure when Anders will wean, but I imagine it will be similar to Erik. I am trying, as I near the end, to cherish that connection with Anders. I'm so thankful that I was able to nurse both of my children with absolutely no difficulties.

I do treasure the moments. I know they go so quickly. It's amazing to me how quickly the past 6 years have gone, and I know that somehow the time only goes faster from this point forward. So even as I sometimes get tired of the daily tasks, or fatigued from many responsibilities, I will still take the time to enjoy my kids in the stage where we are.