One
day you're going to miss it. One day there will be a peaceful silence
while you go to the bathroom instead of small hands busting through the
door or someone wailing bloody murder outside with an owie until you
jump off the toilet holding your pants in a panic.
One day you'll miss the frantic desperation of never catching up because one day everything will catch up. Your children will grow up and you will eventually get a decent break. One day.
So savor the good times now, right? Not so easy. But I tell myself all the time that one day you're going to miss it.
This
is the thing I tell myself day in and day out when I'm on the verge of
losing my sh*t. This mantra keeps me going because no matter how cliche
it sounds, it's true. I need this running thought in my head especially
now as summer break has peeked through the curtains, ready and waiting
for the show (circus).
One
day there won't be baskets of laundry overflowing with play clothes,
gym clothes, or uniforms. One day there won't be endless piles of dishes
in the sink.
And you're going to miss it.
You're going to miss someone needing you all the time. You're going to miss being called out for maybe a hundred times a day for all things great and small.
One
day there won't be anyone around to worry about entertaining on school
breaks because they'll have their own lives, friends, and passions.
That life you think you can't wait for now — perhaps for time alone with your spouse, time alone with yourself — or just some time period —
will come and then it will all be done. All the irritation over mud on
the floor, stains on the carpet or messy rooms never cleaned will be
washed away with the tides of life.
So
maybe you can't muster the feelings of cherishing the moment with your
loud, messy, chatty children today, but it does help to keep in mind
that this day will pass and one day you are going to miss it.
One
day you're going to miss dropping them off or picking them up from
school. You're going to miss their scrunched up, disgusted faces when
they see what you've made for dinner. You're going to miss being called
into their room for the 10th time asking for a glass of water, another
hug, a 3rd story, or to excitedly tell you the sudden revelation they
just had.
You're going to miss all those endless questions because — guess what? — for a time they do think you know everything. This won't last forever, of course.
One
day they won't be asking you to look at everything they do every minute
of the day. One day they won't be constantly seeking your approval. One
day, they will hopefully have the confidence to do most things without
you.
So, the next time you feel like screaming, yelling, or running out the door because no one is listening to you about cleaning up, just tell yourself that there will come a time when you will
miss all of this maddening, beautiful chaos. It might help a little to
ease your sense of hopelessness on those particularly hectic days that
are not so kind to your sanity.
While
it may not be possible to fully enjoy all the moments that come to you
as a parent, it's definitely possible to know that one day you will miss this.
