Time (5 minute prompt)

Time

I catch myself many times at night telling Blake, “Now, I’m older. Now I’m older.” And now I can’t get that moment back and why do seconds feel so short, but some hours or minutes or days feel so long.  And how did that week fly by? How is Hailey almost 9?  Why is half her life at home already over?  Spencer has grown and Brooke is only 23 months behind him and within 3 years, they will both be baptized.  Did I live that time enough? William is nearly 2 and an independent guy, yet I have seemingly much time with him.  Have I savored every waking moment of my 33 years? How many times have I wished for bedtime or naptime or for time to slow down or think I have too much time?  Does it matter that I haven’t savored every moment?

My conclusion is: Moments are exactly that, moments.  They are the special times that make up life.  The day to day routine and sometimes hum drum existence we lead is filled with these moments.  The sweet words from Blake or the kids.  The surprise package in the mail.  The minutes snuggled up reading children’s books, read a million times or more, but still never old to them.  The tickle fights, the laughing, the chasing, the hide n seek.  The cooking and teaching and growing moments that make up life are those that I will never forget.  When my time is gone and I am ready to meet my Maker, I know I will look back on my life and remember my moments.  I probably won’t remember or care about the laundry or the cleaning or the day to day tasks but I will remember the moments and that is why I can appreciate time.

Encouragement (5 minute prompt)

Encouragement

Even though I am 33, I need encouragement.

I need someone to say, “Good job!” “You’re smart!” “You look nice!”

Why do I need this?  Is it because I don’t have enough confidence?  Because I am doing things every day that can make or break my family.  That I need people to appreciate all my work and my sacrifices that I have made?  It’s because mothering didn’t come with a handbook and I need moms who are better than me to say I am doing it right.  That when I tell the kids, “I need quiet time so I can write for five minutes!” (I really just said that.) Then I don’t feel guilty because I am not spending every minute of their day off of school with them.  Because other people will say, “Hey, we felt the same way and we are still happy and alive.”  Maybe I do need encouragement to push forward every day, but is that a bad thing?  I enjoy giving encouragement to my family.  Even for the smallest things, “Hooray, you wiped your bum!”  Because encouragement makes the getter and the giver feel good.