I can feel it slipping through my fingers. Every day something disappears. No more barbies, goodbye building blocks, we have stored all of our princess costumes, and only have a couple of stuffed animals left on their beds. I am squeezing every ounce of joy I can from them in these precious days. I am grateful every time they come running through the house shooting nerf guns (even if I fuss about it), every time they jump on their scooters or bikes and take off down the road. They still run and jump through sprinklers as though they think they will take off and fly, they could sit and swing all day, and love to play hide and seek. We still build blanket and pillow forts all over their rooms, cuddle up in bed to watch Disney movies, and love to play a game of Life or Clue. They're still excited when I have cookies or a special treat after school, and get supper pumped when McDonald's has new toys in their happy meals. They still want to go grab icecream and play at the park, and ask to have sleepovers at their grandparents. Right now, they still love being with us.
But it's fading. They're growing up. I know the days of laughing at dad running and jumping through the sprinklers with them are coming to an end. They won't always want to cuddle and watch movies with us, or prefer to spend their Friday night eating pizza and playing board games. Soon they will trade in those scooters and a game of tag with the neighborhood kids, for cars and nights at the football field. They won't want to read together, or ask me to fix their hair in the morning. Soon this precious chapter of our lives with them will come to a close. It's sneaking up on us, and fast. So I am soaking it all in.
I am grateful they've held on to their youth. I see so many their age acting more like they are 20, instead of 9. Some days I wish they would be more mature, but then I am reminded they have time for that. They'll have a lot longer to be a "grown up", so I am going to let them be kids for however long they need and want to be. I am going to let them run through the house laughing and yelling, watch them learn to skate, and take off on their scooters. We will color chalk on the driveway, play HORSE with the basketball, and blow bubbles during warm afternoons. We will let them be kids.
Releasing Resentment
4 years ago