By Leah Spina
YesterdaybrI ran into Target and passed the chaos of parents and students buying schoolbrsupplies. I felt so happy that Samson was NOT starting kindergarten this year –bra whole, delicious year ahead of being at home with my three little ones. Timebrstand still!
Then abrfriend texted that her oldest son was off to college and she was doing his lastbrload of laundry with emotion sky high (what will THAT be like – doing Samson's lastbrload of laundry?)
Thenbranother friend had the last of her four children move out of the house. Shebrwent in to fluff the couch pillows but “they were exactly the same as the daybrbefore because no one used them.” I wonder what THAT will look like – whenbrDavid Spina and I are official empty nesters?
Thesebrlife season moments are so helpful for me to STOP and SMELL my children rightbrnow, in this very season, even during long, draining sleepless newborn nights.brAt least I have three little warm bodies in my house!
And mybrcouch pillows are strewn across the floor from wild child play this afternoon –brbut someday they will just stay still and boring on the couch.
Savorbreach season of motherhood. Kiss your babies! Shower then with “I love you.” STOP in your busy days ahead to find ordinary, extraordinary moments with yourbrchild.
(I'mbrso tired waking with a one-week newborn I can't write a good ending – ha! But Ibrwill hold my baby with love tonight, instead of resentment, because thebrperspective these friends bring to my season of motherhood. Life is so short.brHelp me, God, to prioritize the “big things” in motherhood, and let the restbrtake a back burner.)
Here's a sweet perspective from my preciousbrsister-in-law:
They grow up so fast…this is the advice I get from all mothers who walk the road ofbrmotherhood ahead of me. Yet, during the months when Alexander struggled tobrsleep more than 45 minutes at a time, the nights seemed endless and the daysbrlong. Now, Alexander sleeps rather soundly and wakes to eat only once beforebrmorning. Saturday night I put my baby to sleep expecting his voice to summon mebrfor our middle-of-the-night feeding and dreading the interruption to my sleepbrbefore such an early morning. To my surprise, the summons never came! Abrwhirlwind of emotions swirled in my heart – I rejoiced for a full night ofbrsleep, yet prayed that it wouldn't be the end of our middle-of-the-nightbrfeedings! I pictured his big, sleepy blue eyes light up as I swoop him into mybrarms and his little fat fingers pat my cheek as he and I spend 30 quiet minutesbrtogether without distractions in the early-morning darkness. All the sudden,brwaking up wasn't an interruption, but a sweet moment I took for granted. Sundaybrnight, I put him down, this time hoping to hear his voice call me in the night.brThank you, Jesus, he did call for me and I cheerfully greeted those blue eyes,brthankful for one more night. Now I see, they really do grow up too fast. Lord,brgive me wisdom and grace to treasure these precious moments!
Photo via Flickr and Personalcreations.com
Leah Spinabris a former journalist of a national newsweekly turned stay-at-home mom tobrthree children, age five and under. She lives in the Dallas area with herbrhusband, David, and is a speaker to mom groups and conferences. Her new book Stopbrand Smell Your Children: Laugh and Enjoy the Little Years helps parents tobrenjoy, not just endure, the little years by changing their parentingbrperspective. Visit leahspina.com to sign-up for Leah’s free weekly parentingbrblog and video. You can also follow her on Instagram (leahthespina) andbrFacebook. When Leah is not burning macaroni and cheese, she enjoys singingbrItalian opera, riding horses and drinking inordinate amounts of Starbucksbrcoffee.