Walking
We take a lot of walks. Down our driveway. The boys take their bikes and I push the double stroller with the little ones. We’ve walked down our driveway many, many times over the last almost 9 years. Hundreds of times. And never once did I realize how things have changed over the course of our “walks”.
I started out by myself. I remember one walk in particular. September 11, 2001. I walked that driveway with little Clint inside my belly. I remember wondering what was happening to this world and how this baby in me was going to live in a world so scary. I remember looking up in the sky and noticing that there were no airplane clouds, which there normally was at least a few in that big sky. I remember praying to God on that walk that he would take care of this little one growing inside of me.
Fast track a couple years, I was pushing a stroller this time with Ethan inside for the ride, pulling Clint in a wagon. Following my little baby brothers while they rode their bikes in front of me. Realizing that this could be me someday. 5 boys. ( although now we know that didn’t happen- there was a girl involved in the mix of 5 )
Fast track til about a month ago. We were on another of our walks. I decided to bring my camera along to take some pictures of the boys riding their bikes. Clint, Ethan and Blake all zooming down the driveway as fast as they could. Me pushing Owen and Audrey.
I look down and almost tear up. Where has time gone. Wasn’t it only yesterday I was walking down that driveway alone and with a little one inside of me. Not knowing that I was going to be a mother of five beautiful children. Not know that God would be blessing me so abundantly. These two little heads that I see as I look down won’t be sitting here forever. In what will only seem like a couple days I won’t be seeing the tops of these little heads in front of me as I push them, trying to keep up with their older brothers. I have to remember what this looks like, so I can remember. I take a picture. On my camera and in my mommy heart. So I won’t forget.
I walked slowly for the rest of that walk, knowing that this time here with my children will fly by and will be forgotten if I don’t slow down and savour it. The boys of course didn’t slow down, just like they won’t slow down in growing up. I wish I could remember every walk we’ve taken but in this fast walk of life I forget to slow down and enjoy these moments with my children. I’m always rushing and trying to hurry on to the next thing that has to get done.
I stopped on the way back for Owen to blow on some dead dandelions.
I realized just like those dandelions and how easy it is to just blow the seeds away in the wind, so is our time with our children. We need to take the short time that they are growing so fast and just be with them because in an instant the days of them being children with blow away.
And yes, sometimes it feels like you just can’t take it anymore and its annoying ( like getting the seeds all in your mouth!) Please take the time today to cherish those simple everyday moments with your kids, they will be the ones that you and they will always remember!
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and is gone, and its place remembers is no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children.....
~ Psalms 103: 13-17
