You’re Going to Miss This

I have heard stories from other moms of instances in which strangers approach them in their pregnant glory and touch their belly, or strangers that approach the newborn child and kiss them on the cheek. Somehow I was lucky to have avoided both these situations. One situation I have not been so fortunate to bypass is the strangers approaching me and my boys in every store I’m in and saying “You must have your hands full”.  Do I have my hands full? Absolutely.  Is there something else you could comment about? Absolutely. 

Let’s go back to the part about my hands being full. They are so full. Working full-time, two young boys, a husband who works and coaches sports – my days are spent in constant motion. Today alone, I changed sheets, did two loads of laundry, fed and bathed both boys, packed and unpacked diaper bags, packed and unpacked snacks for daycare, did the dishes and so much more.  Even with all of that, there is still a list of things that need to get done and they simply will not be done today. We are all there – we are all busy and small children seem to suck any excess energy we may have. With all of this on my plate it is easy to forget that this is just a moment, a small moment in the grand scheme of life.  It is also easy to forget that I will never get this moment back. My boys will never be this age again. Each middle of the night wake up is one less that I get to have in my lifetime. Every day that passes is a day that I only get to visit in my memories and it is up to me to determine what my memories will be – the endlessly clean house, or the first time both boys took a bath together. 

I’m learning that happiness is all about perspective. Grass isn’t greener on the other side – it is greener where you water it. So yes, my kitchen is a mess (I would highly suggest not eating the food that falls on my floors) and there is so much laundry to be done. But my boys are happy and I am spending every moment I can watching and helping them grow. I can choose to fret about my messy life, or I can embrace the life stage I am in and try hard to engrave these moments in my memory to never forget. Happiness is all about perspective. I’m working to change mine, how about you?