I remember waiting with anticipation the birth of each of my children. I could not wait to hold them in my arms and see who they looked like. I am adopted so it was very exciting for me to look into the face of my children and see a reflection of myself. Those sweet little babies do not stay little very long.
Recently I was baking and my twelve year old asked to help. I was delighted to have him help me. As we were working together I looked up at him (he is already five inches taller than me) and I wondered where in the world did that little baby go? At that moment it struck me that one day he will be grown up and raising children of his own. This child who wants to do everything with me will be a man. This ordinary task of baking became so suddenly very special. I wanted to freeze time and stay that way with him forever.
That feeling I had reminded me of the Thornton Wilder play, Our Town. In the third act of the play Emily has died and she begs to go back for one day. The message is that every minute should be valued. We as parents need to remember those precious children God has so graciously allowed us to raise grow very fast. We have such a short time to teach them and care for them. Since that day, I try to remember when my four year old is wearing a red cape and pretending to fly and I am going crazy just trying to keep him alive, it is all but a moment. One day very soon he will be twelve also, on the brink of those teenage years and I will be yearning for the days of red capes. I am trying to cherish every moment God has given me with these little boys.
