Longest Days, Shortest Years

August 31, 2012

We’ve been watching a lot of old home videos this summer while transferring them to DVD, and I LOVE replaying moments when my big boys were little. I remember how challenging it was keeping up with those three little guys. The days were long and left me physically exhausted! Now it’s a new day with a whole new set of challenges, and the stakes feel higher than ever. I am much more aware of how the years fly by than I was 15 years ago when I started my parenting journey, and today I am looking for ways to spend more time connecting with the boys because the end of their stay with us is closer than I want it to be.

 

This morning I took our oldest son, Brooks, to his first day of high school. It is also our middle son, Casen’s birthday, which makes him officially a teenager. Our third son, Carter, is in the third grade and for now is still my little boy – though he might argue with that!

 

It’s evident that Kyle is pondering similar things because he recently wrote a song that seems to express a lot of what I’ve been feeling.  The song has not been recorded, but I found the lyrics and thought I’d give you a sneak peak…

 

 

Longest Days, Shortest Years
Longest days, shortest years
Big ol’ smiles, big ol’ tears
Time drags on then just disappears
Longest days, shortest years 

 

He called her on Wednesday to ask her out that Friday
Never knew 48 hours could take that long
Now they’re standing at the alter with their friends and family
Amazed at just how quickly love can grow

 

24 months later with his pillow sleeping on the couch
Wonderin’ if this thing they got is gonna work out
They’re both staring at the clock, seems like it’s sitting still
They hope this fight will end, feels like it never will 

 

Longest days, shortest years
Big ol’ smiles, big ol’ tears
Time drags on then just disappears
Longest days, shortest years 

 

Then along comes baby, eats every 3 hours
Dad’s works a blur and moms lucky if she gets to take a shower
They blink their eyes and graduations here
Their baby waves goodbye out the window and puts the truck in gear

 

Longest days, shortest years
Big ol’ smiles, big ol’ tears
Time drags on then just disappears
Longest days, shortest years 

 

For every night you think will never end
There’ll be a day you’ll wonder where it went

 

Longest days, shortest years
Big ol’ smiles, big ol’ tears
Time drags on then just disappears
Longest days, shortest years

 

Wow… That one really hits home. I can’t stop the clock from ticking, nor the boys from growing and I don’t want to – which is good, because they WILL grow up, in spite of me, as my dad use to say, and time will never stand still.  So, what I get to choose is how I spend the time I have today.  One thing is true – there is no way to slow down time, so…. the important questions are:

How much time will I be present?
How much time will I be accessible?
How much time will I be grateful?
How many memories will I make and hold on to?

My wish and prayer is that the coming days and years hold twice the love and memories we’ve already created – for my family, and yours…