Have you ever noticed that your kids keep getting older. . .and bigger? Amazingly, the longer you parent, the older your kids will become. And, in the blink of an eye, they suddenly become adults.
Just yesterday I had three little kids, and today I have one applying for a Ph.D. program, another applying for a Master’s degree, and one walking through the unimaginable grief of losing a child. I had no idea that life would happen so quickly.
If I could go back to the beginning of the journey, knowing what I know now, I would make a few significant changes.
I would slow down and savor the relational time.
I would not yield to the “hurry, hurry” pressure.
I would remind myself that this moment, this day, this season is where we can enjoy life—I must not put it off till later.
If you are just beginning to walk along the parenting path, there are so many competing voices trying to tell you what to do, what you are doing wrong, what your children should be doing, and how to parent (and homeschool) better than anybody else.
But, if you can take a moment to imagine your little children as fully functioning adults, living outside of your home, you might be able to sort out these “expert” voices for yourself. Look at your kids and ask yourself, “When they are grown, what will they be like? What will they be doing? What will they enjoy?” I can promise you that the seed of whom they will be as adults is living in your house today.
I remember when one son would drink deeply of amazing adventure stories, particularly of people being rescued. Today, he is an officer in the Navy Medical Services Corps. Another son would often become an incredible cartoon character as a child. Today, he is an extraordinary theater professional. My daughter always wanted justice in our family, with each of us doing what was right. Today, she is pursuing justice on a much wider scale as she researches issues affecting the poor.
It was all there in seed form. But I had no idea how large the trees would grow.
When we grasp the fact that our kids are going to be adults one day, it gives perspective to the choices we make right now.
The take-away is this: Enjoy your kids in this season of life. Before you know it, they will blossom!
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