~ 31 Days of Parenting Teens & Tweens, Day 17 ~

In wee hours when bones rattled and patience grew thick because it had no other choice, I'd inhale her scent and exhale "This, too, shall pass."  Every parent learns that "sleeping like a baby" is a cruel tease of words because Baby don't sleep when you want her to.

Or when you need her to.

This, too, shall pass got me through newborn delirium, toddler tantrums and kindergarten meltdowns, and I clung to its truth like grape to vine. 

During bad times it meant I gritted teeth and held breath to make it through the moment, and during good times, I grinned teeth and held breath to hold onto the moment. 

The paradox of this mantra was bad times lasted forever in minutes, and good times sped up days to pass in seconds.

Is anyone following me??

Time is a funhouse mirror–it shrinks and stretches reality. 

Perception is reality, even if lives in imagination only.

And then your children hit double digits and Time ratchets up the pace, coolly neutral, impervious to your plea…your prayer…

to j u s t

S L O W

D O W N! 

Which you know is silly, really, but the day you notice you're looking UP into your kid's eyes…you wave the white flag in reluctant acceptance.

They're going to grow up. 

And they're going to move out.

Ultimately, it's what you want; it's what you want them to want!

Five minutes ago your mood-swinging child was battling puberty and today she's shaving her legs or he's singing bass.  Or, horrors–you blinked!  Now he can legally see an R-rated movie without your permission or she can drive cross country! 

My point is time flies. 

This, too, shall pass – whatever it is good or bad you're walking through with your t(w)een now.

With everything that is in me, I urge you to

see and savor the good times with your children in every season…

and to see and consider the good you can learn from trials and struggles you're certain to meet along the way.  It is in and through challenge where growth is seeded, change takes place and character is refined.

The clock is ticking.  You're one day closer to an emptying nest.  I know you know this, but a reminder every now and then makes a difference.  How are you going to make the most of your time while your children are still under your roof?

—

31 Days of Parenting Teens & Tweens–even I'm surprised by some of these posts!  I DO hope they're a source of encouragement.  Thanks for your feedback and for sharing a link to the series with others; both are ways you encourage me!

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