It Won't Be Like This For Long

 Former Hootie And The Blowfish singer Darius Rucker has a song titled It Won't Be Like This For Long, which explains how quickly each phase of our child's life goes by so fast.  I always try to keep this thought in mind.  No matter how wonderful or how frustrating any moment with my children may be I always remind myself that it isn't going to last forever. 

 There seems to be one question I keep hearing over and over again this summer.

"Mommy, can you push us on the swings?"

They only like being pushed by me holding on to the seat part, pulling them as far back and as high as I can reach and then letting them go.  They swing back and forth a few times, still high in the air, when they again ask ...

"Mommy, can you push me again?"

Rarely do I have a chance to respond before they immediately continue to beg, "push me!  Push me!"

As much as I enjoy every moment I spend with my children there are sometimes other things that call for my attention.  Like housework.  Or sometimes I crave some alone time.  Then I keep reminding myself ... the housework WILL get done eventually and yes the housework will always need done anyway.  I can get my alone time at some point.  More importantly than anything, my kids need me.  They need the time with me.  They need to have my full attention when they ask for it.  It may seem like such a tedious thing to constantly push both children on the swings over and over ... and over again but I constantly remind myself that these moments aren't going to last for long.

Like the moment I found out I was pregnant.  Or getting through each stage of pregnancy.  The long nights of trying to get the newborn to go to sleep only for him to wake up two hours later demanding another feeding.  These things don't last long.  In fact, the days seem to quickly turn into months and before we know it another year has passed.  The newborns we once held for the first time in our arms are now running around the yard, jumping on the swings and yelling, "Mommy push me!"  It won't be long before these two find themselves to be too old for swinging or needing my help to push them -- or simply needing my help with much of anything.

So my dear children, would you like me to push you on the swings?  Why, of course!

I know there will come a time when my children will be grown and out of the house.  I will sit on my porch and look at the old empty swings and look back on the days (that are going on right now) when we would spend hours on the swings just swinging and singing songs and I'll say to myself ... wow that didn't last long.  

So when your kids ask you to do something or spend time with them ... DO it and CHERISH it.  Because just as Mr. Rucker says ... It Won't Be Like This For Long.