Where Did The Time Go?

Mamas everywhere are in a season of waving goodbye. Waving goodbye as their children walk into kindergarten, or high school, college or even marriage. And I’m sure that each one of those mamas can agree~ where did the time go??

And so, I reminisce…

…I don’t know whose hands these are, but they’re not mine.

My hands were just holding my baby. They were tying shoelaces and zipping coats. They were making dinner and folding laundry. They were pulling babies close and wiping away tears. They were holding their hand as they learned to walk. They were putting cookies in the oven and flipping endless pancakes. They were wrapping presents, giving baths, turning the pages of fairytales, and soothing a feverish head.

And then they were waving goodbye. And they were wiping away my own tears.

These are not my hands. They are the hands of my mom. They are the hands of my grandma. They cannot be mine. Wasn’t it just yesterday that I was doing ‘all the things’?

I find my hands wanting to reach for ‘all the things’ again. To toss their hair and breathe in their baby scent. To linger longer as I hold their tiny hand, and they fall asleep in my arms.

Now those tiny hands are holding tiny hands of their own, and I fight back the tears as I remember. Time took my hands and changed them. It changed me. And now time means so much more, and I wish that I had appreciated what a gift it was while my hands briefly held it.

Hold on to those moments mama. Notice the work of your hands and all the love you pour into that. Cherish every single second. Slow down. Don’t rush your days. Look at your hands and be so thankful for the busyness they hold. What a blessing that busyness is, and how precious to be able to say you held it.

Because one day… your hands will have to let go.

You will be waving goodbye, and wiping away tears. Make sure they’re tears of joy over every single cherished moment, and not tears of regret over all the moments you missed.