When your kids are little, nothing rings more true than the saying that the days are long but the years are short. You know the time is fleeting even as you struggle through some days that feel never-ending.
As your kids begin to grow though, their (and your) days become filled with school, homework, sports, clubs, and friends, and suddenly the days start to fly by as well.
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The irony of time in parenting is that the moment you become most acutely aware of how fleeting it is, also happens to be the moment when your kids naturally begin to pull away.
Just when you fully realize your need to savor every moment, those moments become fewer and farther between.
My oldest started high school this week and I have never been more cognizant of how quickly four years will go. He’s not playing a fall sport this year, but he was asked and agreed to manage the football team. That means he’ll spend his Friday nights up in the booth, filming the games.
The season opener was last night, an away game 30 minutes from home. When he asked if I was going, I asked if he wanted me to. To be honest, I wasn’t planning on it. But his response was an enthusiastic, “Sure!” and in that moment, I knew I’d be there come rain, shine, hell, or high water.
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Anyone who isn’t a parent might wonder why I’d bother to spend my Friday night sitting by myself cheering for a bunch of boys who aren’t mine, but every parent understands.
When your teenager wants you to be where they are, even if just in the same general vicinity, you do it.
And you savor every moment.
Originally published on the author’s Facebook page