Time flies by. We all know it. We all say it, but so often we don’t stop and really appreciate it -time.
With having children ranging in age from almost 5 to almost 26, I get a glimpse of different ages and stages every day. But oh one of my favorite things in life, the most precious moments, is when I get a glimpse of the little person in my grown child.
Over the weekend, Grace, now 21, became tickled with a story she was telling and as she began to giggle, she brought her hand to her mouth, cut her eyes to the side, crunched her head down low between her shoulders held high and in a split second, there she was – my little princess with her white dress with the silver lining trim and her princess crown on top of her head, giggling as she told me a story about her day. I could even see the dated wallpaper behind her head that really needed to be peeled and scraped and replaced with fresh paint, a new look. They grow so fast and for just a moment she was five again.
Later, I picked Lilly up from a meeting at college. She was waiting just past the stop sign like she always does, tucked behind the bush. As I came down the hill, I could see the top of her head and her eyes peaking over the shrub, but I could already tell there was a playful smile attached to the bottom of the face that held the head full of wild, beautiful hair. Something about the look on her face transported me back to preschool days. As I would pick her up, some days she would pop out from behind a tree on the playground, wild mane revealing her spot just seconds before her playful eyes and then her “I’m not up to anything smile” would not be too far behind. But then I blink and realize she’s really 18.
I know it sounds kind of cheesy or something like the scene from Father of the Bride when Steve Martin’s character watched his daughter grow before his eyes while playing basketball with him, but it was wonderful.
It’s such a privilege to watch as our children grow and experience different seasons, but oh how special to catch glimpses of the little person they were as they grow into the person they were meant to be. I pray I always remember to not let life move so fast, that I don’t miss the smile behind the tree.
