You’re Gonna Miss This Someday, But . . . .
As a mom of a newborn, I remember thinking. . . .
“I am so exhausted. She keeps waking up at all hours of the night to nurse. I can’t get any sleep! I rock her and rock her, but I can’t put her down without her crying. All the older moms keep saying to me, “you’re gonna miss this someday.” But I can’t see past my exhaustion to feel that way. I just want it to be over. I can’t nurse another day. . . .want my boobs back!”
As a toddler mom, I felt more confident in my mom skills but still tired. Wait. . . .I thought I would be sleeping more by now. Am I doing this wrong? Everyday I probably said: “She is wearing me out. She touches everything and puts it all in her mouth. I can’t keep all the things clean and protect her from every germ. Sometimes I just let her eat that cheerio from the ground or lick a stranger. I can’t do it all and do it well. I can’t wait until she is out of this stage!”
Then, all of a sudden, that little baby who cried constantly. . . . .that toddler who wore us out. . . . .that same little girl of ours was walking into school as a kindergartener. Memories of her firsts came flooding in. Her first word, her first step, her first toy and now her first day of school. Those memories made me realize that the someday those older moms told me about had so quickly turned into today. My inner dialogue changed that day from “I can’t wait until she. . . .” to “I really miss. . . . .
those late nights when we were all exhausted. I don’t miss the exhaustion. No way! What I do miss is the smell of her skin, the weight of her little body on mine, the dark room with only the sound of the rocking chair as it lulls us both back to sleep. I miss the feeling of having a newborn.
I really miss. . . . .
her little voice that mispronounces every other word. The innocence of her. The way she waddles a little bit as she walks. The excitement she has for everything because it’s all new to her.”
Those older moms were right. We will miss it someday. But even more than that, they were trying to tell me something profound. LIVE IN THE PRESENT. Soak it up. Look past the muck and enjoy those little moments of sweetness. Being a mom (and a dad) is super difficult. But it’s also a beautiful time in life that goes by so quickly. So today, take time to smell the roses. There are always thorns waiting to get you, but if your focus is on the roses, you will see past the thorns and learn how to enjoy life more. Because I guarantee you, YOU’RE GONNA MISS IT SOMEDAY.
