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Women Living Well Blog: Why Don't You Grow Up?

Women Living Well Blog

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Why Don't You Grow Up?

Last night I sat and rubbed my daughters back while I sang the songs I used to sing when we rocked in the rocking chair. She drifted off to dream land and I slipped back in time. Memories of the first night home with her, nursing her, and the first time I was delighted to find she had a dimple flooded my mind. She was so different from her brother - dressed in head to toe pink, with a pink bow and wrapped in all pink blankets. I took so much joy in having my sweet baby girl! I can't praise God enough for this bundle of joy - yet I find myself during the day exhausted with training her, inpatient, and at times tempted to believe it will be easier when she's a bit more grown up.

Then I read this poem and my whole perspective changed. If you are in the season of life where the children have you weary this is for you:

'One of these days you'll explode and shout to the kids, "Why don't you grow up and act your age?" ...and they will.


OR: "You guys get outside and find yourselves something to do. And don't slam the door!" ...and they don't.

You'll straighten up the boys' bedroom neat and tidy -- bumper stickers discarded, bedspread tucked and smooth, toys displayed on the shelves. Hangers in the closet. Animals caged. And you'll say out loud, "Now I want it to stay this way.'' ...and it will.


You'll prepare a perfect dinner with a salad that hasn't been picked to death and a cake with no finger traces in the icing, and you'll say, "Now, there's a meal for company.'' ...and you'll eat it alone.


You'll say: "I want complete privacy on the phone. No dancing around. No demolition crews. Silence! Do your hear?''...and you'll have it.


No more plastic tablecloths stained with spaghetti. No more bedspreads to protect the sofa from damp bottoms. No more gates to stumble over at the top of the basement steps. No more clothespins under the sofa. No more playpens to arrange a room around. No more anxious nights under a vaporizer tent No more sand on the sheets or Popeye movies in the bathrooms. No more iron-on-patches, wet, knotted shoestrings, tight boots, or rubber bands for ponytails.


Imagine. A lipstick with a point on it. No baby sitter for New Year's Eve. Washing only once a week. Seeing a steak that isn't ground. Having your teeth cleaned without a baby on your lap. No PTA meetings. No car pools. No blaring radios. No one washing her hair at 11 o'clock at night. Having your own roll of Scotch tape.

Think about it. No more Christmas presents out of toothpicks and library paste. No more sloppy oatmeal kisses. No more tooth fairy. No giggles in the dark. No knees to heal, no responsibility.


Only a voice crying, "Why don't you grow up?'' and the silence echoing, "I did."

...Erma Bombeck


Psalm 127:3 "Children are a reward from God."

Galatians 6:9 "Do not grow weary in doing good for in due season you will reap a harvest IF you do not give up."

Walk with the King!

11 Comments:

Blogger Regina Coblentz said...

This is a good reminder for me. I told Mark the other day that life seems to be hard sometimes. I'm sure it's not helping that I don't feel that great and don't have much energy because of the pregnancy. I started getting a little depressed the other day and then asked myself, why? God is giving us another miracle and I want to be thankful. So, I turned my attitude around and became very thankful for the blessings he has given us.

October 8, 2009 at 8:17 AM  
Anonymous Kelly Luczywo said...

Oh my goodness~ *tears*. Thank you for posting this. I know it's true and I need the reminder often. My grandmother tells me this all the time. We need to appreciate these little, teachable moments with our little ones while they last because in the blink of an eye they will be over.

October 8, 2009 at 9:27 AM  
Blogger Kelly said...

As I sit here reading this (or trying to) I have two little ones climbing on me, spilling my coffee and begging for my breakfast. I couldn't help but think how much I will miss these days. Right now my little boy still thinks I am great and wants to climb up in my lap and snuggle. My baby girl still needs me to help her do so many things. But I have 2 girls that have grown up so fast too. I remember the day I brought my first baby girl home from the hospital it seems like yesterday but now that tiny baby girl can wear my shoes! Many days I am so tired from training and taking care of my family but I keep Galatians 6:9 at the front of my mind-or at least try to=)

October 8, 2009 at 9:28 AM  
Blogger lori said...

My dear friend is watching her "baby" get married this weekend and we chatted last night about how from now on (the other 2 are married and gone) there will be no spit left in the sink, no hair in the drain...dishes only for 2...the list goes on...she looked at me and said, I KNOW I'll miss it soon enough...I reminder her when she is up for some "noise," we are right down the street...

It goes much to fast...

Thanks for sharing this today...it's just so appropriate!!

peace!

lori

October 8, 2009 at 11:09 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am sitting at my desk in tears after reading this...I wish I could go back and do things differently with my boys...they are now almost 18 and 16 and I find myself asking everyday...where did the time go??...why couldn't I have been more patient?...why did I worry so much about stains on their clothes??...why did I shush them just for being kids so I could hear the person on the other end of the phone??...my advice to any new parent or one with small children is...CHERISH...Cherish every second of every minute of every hour of every day...for when the time is gone, you can never get it back...

Thank you for sharing and may we all slow down enough to hear God speak and teach our children how to as well.

October 8, 2009 at 11:47 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

My boys are 7 and 5 and I'm already wondering where the time has gone. I cringe to think of another seven years gone! Why can't it take twice as long for them to grow up? I certainly have bad days, and certainly I get impatient, but I wouldn't trade this time for the world. Thanks for posting some perspective for those bad days! You should tag this one "attitude adjustment"!!

October 8, 2009 at 2:41 PM  
Blogger Jamie said...

My baby just got her drivers license today, and I have been spending the day thinking how quickly all those years have flown by. Watching them grow certainly is bittersweet.

October 8, 2009 at 7:44 PM  
Blogger Jen said...

oh, this is SO true. I just posted on another blog, it was a post from a mom who thinks the kids room's always look messy/cluttered, and I said that I try to cherish the mess, because all too soon it will be gone. My oldest no longer has toys in her room. They grow up too fast...thanks for posting this. A great reminder for all of us.

October 9, 2009 at 12:01 AM  
Anonymous Kristin said...

Wow, Courtney, I haven't been on in a while as life has become so busy I feel I have not one minute to myself and have been feeling very much like this poem said. Thank you for giving me perspective and making me shed some much needed tears. Sometimes I think it is good to remember the joys of motherhood that far outway the trials. Thanks for that reminder!

October 22, 2009 at 9:46 PM  
Blogger M's Family Blogs said...

That was heavy. Tears and a lump in my throat accompanied me as I read that poem.

Susan

March 2, 2010 at 5:45 PM  
Blogger Courtney (Women Living Well) said...

Susan - I hadn't revisited this post and your comment brought me back to it to reread it - and here I sit in tears AGAIN!!! I needed this reminder tonight - a reminder to savor these moments - so thanks for your comment!

Much love,
Courtney

March 2, 2010 at 10:55 PM  

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