It DOES happen so fast!!! When I was a brand new mum it used to so get up my nose when older mums told me to cherish it as it would go by so fast… the remark STILL gets up my nose – the way I am made IS to cherish it – never needed to be told it – I have so loved these years of mothering and newborn is still my favourite stage.
I read a book when our first 2 kids were little by the Shirley Dobson and Gloria Gaither (I think) called : “Let’s Make a Memory”. It had me in tears way back then with stories of family traditions over time. One was going to MacDonnalds for brekky on the first day of each new school year. The psychology of it was meant to be that it helped them through their nerves… Shirley Dobson recalled the little girl in ribbons across the table – to the senior schooler who arrived for her LAST first day brekky in her own car… Gloria Gaither remembers her excitement at dancing with her newly married son at his reception and handing him back to his wife… oh the tears!!!
What I’ve learned is that the love we have for them when they are tiny does change in nature but it never diminishes. Gone are the sloppy smooches… the stumbling discovery of words… etc and in come the issues of life. Lauren’s first kindy teacher sent a knife through my heart with no idea she had when she explained how kindy prepares them for school. Obviously I knew that but what stabbed is that kindy/school signifies to me the beginning of the slippery slope into adulthood – I have grieved that change from before it even happened – which in one way increases the depth of the joy over each day spent with these precious ones. Some days are not spent so well and I grieve them too – but others…
The first time the enormity of what we had done in churning out these 6 stunning babies (at the time) was at my Grandpa’s memorial service. They’d had 6 too – 3 of each just like us. When my Grandma died, Grandpa took on her mantle of praying for every member of the family after lunch – BY NAME. When he died, I think the family numbered 75!!! My fabulous Auntie Jennie and her kids used to joke about being first on his list cuz if he forgot who he was up to he’d start over and if you were first you’d get prayed for more times! It was then that I had a picture of us in 30 years time… the investment of love made in our families doesn’t diminish one bit – it INCREASES with the length of time in relationship, the bonds, the breaks, the continuance of numbers…
Making babies is fun, having them is delicious, raising them is hard and wonderful, loving them is piquant, hair raising (or greying) and awesome. And then come the next generation!