The days and nights go by so slowly—but the years just keep flying by. 

So, I will go and flop down on her gross unmade bed and ask her all those annoying questions that I know she doesn’t want to talk about, but I know she would rather talk to me right now than go to sleep. 

I will let her come into her daddy’s and my room long after bedtime to have pointless laughing sessions just to have her close to us. 

I will beg her to come sleep by me and let me hold her all night—because I know soon she will leave for college and though she will be making me the most proud momma around, and I know she is out there making this world a better place, I will miss her more than she will ever know. One day very soon, I know I’m going to miss these long drawn out nights. 

The days and nights go by so slowly—but the years just keep flying by. 

So, I will let him stay up after bedtime playing his dumb games and pretend I don’t know he is still up, because he could be doing much worse things than that. 

I will grab him and hug him for no reason at all just to let him know that his mommy still loves him very much and is incredibly proud of the young man he is becoming. 

I will let him take food and drinks in his room when he gives me that special look he gives only me because he knows I can’t say no to it even though I yell at him daily for having food and drinks in his room . . . because I know someday, I will miss that look. So, I will give in to it every time because I know when he leaves me, he will be gone for awhile changing the world with the special gifts only he possesses. 

The days and nights go by so slowly but, the years just keep flying by. 

So, I will hold him a little longer, even after I’ve said “BEDTIME” for the fifth time in the past 30 minutes. 

I will read that “just one more” book every time he asks me to. 

I will let him sleep in the middle of us until he is ready to sleep in his own big boy bed, for as long as it takes. 

I will continue to have those philosophical deep bedtime conversations with that 6-year-old of mine while he does all he can to keep from going to sleep. 

I will get him that last sip of water for the fourth time. 

And I will take him down to the bathroom to go potty three more times and pinch his little butt the whole way up the stairs with a smile on my face and laughter in his voice each night. One day, I’m going to miss these long drawn out nights, because . . . 

The days and nights go by so slowly but, the years just keep flying by.

Originally published on the author’s Facebook page

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