The magnitude of this job overwhelms me at times. Three human beings ... infancy to adulthood and everything that encompasses ... wow. Other times, I concentrate on the moments and it's not such a big deal. Brushing teeth and putting on pajamas isn't a daunting task (most nights). Neither is driving children to school at 7:45 AM. They're just things to be done and when they are all added up, it's life. In 20 years, I'll look back and wonder where all the moments went.
Some moments are exhilarating. All The Great Firsts are seared into my memory: the first spoken words, the first read words, the first teeth, the first loose teeth, riding the first bike, buying the first school supplies, seeing the first steps, the first screaming bath in the nursery.
Some moments are terrifying, like leaving my sobbing daughter in a classroom for the first time. In that moment, I know she will be fine; she has the same wonderful teacher that her brother had last year. But she's my crying baby and all I want to do is scoop her up, promising that she will never be back there. Being a rational parent means realizing that this isn't feasible; if she doesn't stay for this first day, there will be another first day somewhere else and it won't be easier. So I push through that awful moment, knowing that the subsequent morning drop-offs will only get easier.
Some moments are surprising in their simplicity. The moments I've spent snuggled into bed with the kids and telling them about my own childhood are special to all of us. It's something I experienced with my parents and I am now making a point of it with my children. Other times spent silly dancing in the kitchen or playing I Spy on road trips are no less special than The Great Firsts. I hope my children will look back on their childhoods and remember these, as well as the big moments.
So, here's to the last 8 years, and to all that will follow.
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