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Kids/Parenting Fulfillment

Today, while the blossoms

Sunday’s For Better or For Worse comic strip pretty aptly describes parenthood. I’ve mentioned the “time-space continuum” that is motherhood before, but after a discussion earlier this week I was thinking about it again.

There is something at every age that we want our children to grow out of. Right now, I’d like Hayden to grow out of throwing fits and not communicating verbally (although he has a plethora of new words over the weekend: bubble, baby, Jesus (‘Dedus’)).

But somehow it seems like the memory of all those things fade almost as soon as they’re past. Sometimes when I complain to my mother about the typical foibles of his age, my mother tells me that it’s all a very distant memory for her (my youngest sister will turn 16 this week).

Ever since he was born, I’ve been in “hurry up and grow up” mode. Get past the lump stage; start reacting to me; start sleeping through the night already; start crawling; REALLY, start sleeping through the night; start walking; stop nursing; start talking. I’m always ready for him to move on to the next milestone.

And then you think about the good things of this age, and you remember to treat each moment a little more preciously:

  • Spontaneous hugs, kisses and snuggles.
  • Unconditional love.
  • Adorable stories—For example, a few weeks ago in church, his class had a lesson on animals. He wasn’t paying much attention until they got to a picture of a cat. He ran up, grabbed the picture from the teacher and started giving it kisses. Did I mention who his best friend was?
  • His little lectures—I don’t think I’ll ever be able to capture them on camera, since he will never do anything cute once he sees the camera’s on, but Hayden talks all day long. But even cuter than the babbling are the very adult-like expressions and hand gestures that accompany them. I feel like I’m getting a college lecture all day long!
  • His laugh.
  • His expression and the way he’s scrunching up his shoulders and pointing here:
    Hayden reading 19 months
    Having the ad upside down doesn’t hurt the cuteness either.

I could go on for a long time (who couldn’t go on and on about their own child?!), but even just listing those five is making me feel better!

The title of the post comes from a song that I’ve referenced before. It’s a lullaby that my mother sang to us when we were little and we sing it at each of the sisters’ weddings:


Today, while the blossoms still cling to the vine,
I’ll taste your strawberries; I’ll drink your sweet wine.
A million tomorrows shall all pass away
Ere I forget all the joy that is mine
Today.

Today I can appreciate the best things about this age.

18 replies on “Today, while the blossoms”

He’s such a cutie, and I love how you summed up the post with that lovely poem. It reflects everything you said.

That was a fabulous post!
It’s true. There are things that we don’t like about each age. Just this morning I was wishing that Noah would stop with the tantrums and sleep in past 5am but when you think of all the great things, all the blessings, it outways all of the challenges.

Thanks for your post. It changed my perspective for today.

I find each and every age that princess gets is the best so far. She is such a fun, funny, spontaneous, loving, good girl, she just fills me up with love.

That comic is perfect. I printed it and hung it up next to my computer. I’ve got a Zits one up as well where the mom unzips her teenage son to find him as a 5 year old inside.

I had actually never heard that poem before – it’s lovely! And the photo… well, there just aren’t words for that kind of adorable! : )

It’s very true … and what is great about this writing project is that is helps the author realize the great things about their children right now, but also it helps me think that it might be a little easier – eventually. Thanks, Jordan.

Another good thing about the babbling stage is that they can carry on a “conversation” but never repeat anything that we say to them. And baby eyes seem to have the wisdom of the universe in them. You can’t ask for a better confidante.

I’ve never heard “today………” referred to as a lullaby or poem before. It’s one of John Denver’s songs and I always thought he was singing about his wife Annie.

My mother learned it from a John Denver tape (because the only recorded version they used to have was on tape from a live concert—it wasn’t on the CD version of the concert).

However, John didn’t write that song. Randy Sparks wrote it and it was apparently first recorded by the New Christy Minstrels.

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