This is going to be a quick little post, mainly because this week and really the weeks leading up have been so emotional about Jeffery turning two. Jeffery is my last baby so it’s a little hard to see him grow so fast! I do not exaggerate when I say it feels like just yesterday he was born. Time has literally flown by. It’s honestly like I blinked and all of a sudden he’s not a baby anymore. He will always be my baby, but you know what I mean!
Time is a very funny thing. We spend so much time wishing for Friday or wishing the months away to be on vacation or wishing for the next exciting thing in our life. While it is so amazing to have things to motivate us and keep us pushing forward, we are also missing precious time.
I am someone who feels like I never have enough time. Since I never feel like I have enough time, I am always doings something. If I get home five minutes early, you bet your ass I am using that time to do some extra cleaning or get a jump on dinner so I can get more done later. My days are packed and I typically have things time blocked out for the whole day.
While we were watching TV one night, a commercial came on that stated families typically only spend 37 minutes of quality time together a day. When I first hear it, I thought how sad that family time has come down to 37 minutes a day. Then I realized, that’s probably spot on for our family.
Now don’t get me wrong, from the time I pick up my kids to the time they go to bed, I am with them. I can see them playing and they come into the kitchen and ask me questions and we are always around each other. But I’m always doing something, so is that quality time?
I don’t know if it is Jeffery’s birthday or just timing, but I am changing the way my family spends quality time together. We are eating dinner at the table and I have actually time blocked out time to spend with my kids. I know that sounds kind of lame, but if it means dedicated time with my kids, I’m okay with sounding lame.
My hope is that whoever reads this, takes a look at how they are spending their time and really start to enjoy the little things. Whatever season of your life you are going through, there is something you will truly miss about it when it is gone. With Jeffery turning two, I am really missing the late nights I stayed up with him putting him back to sleep. Yes, I was tired and many nights I wished he would just sleep through the night, but now I miss holding him and being the one who made him feel safe enough to fall back asleep.
Soon enough, my kids will be older and no longer want to watch the same movie over and over again with me. Soon enough, I will come home and my dogs will not leave me with slobber on my pants. Soon enough, my tiny home will feel ginormous. Soon enough, my parents will no longer call me to check in. Soon enough, I will be reflecting back on my life, wondering if I lived it right.
Time is all we have. It’s what we have the most of and the least of in our lives. Remember what is important and be all there in those moments. Take nothing for granted because nothing in life is promised.