This morning, I was looking through my mountain of books in order to determine which to keep and which to give away.*

In one of the books, I found this poem on a bookmark:

If I Had My Child to Raise Over Again

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I’d build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I’d finger-paint more and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.
I’d take more hikes and fly more kites.
I’d stop playing serious and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I’d do more hugging and less tugging.
I’d see the oak tree in the acorn more often.
I would be firm less often and affirm much more.
I’d model less about the love of power
And more about the power of love.
—-Diane Loomans

Young mom who may be reading this, take those words to heart.

This time with your little ones goes by in the blink of an eye.

For this moment in time, you have been given a miracle, a window of grace in which you have the privilege and joy of watching your little ones explore the world around them.

Is there anything more enchanting than being a witness to the wide-eyed wonder of a child discovering delight and joy?

Don’t miss it.

In the midst of the dirty dishes, diaper duty, tantrums and sibling squabbles, the bills, the fatigue, the piles of laundry, brightly colored toys everywhere … the beauty of life is unfolding.

The passage of time is swift and you will turn around and those moments will be gone.

Don’t miss it.

Just last night, my nearly 18 year old son told me that he is so ready to leave our small town for New York City and begin the next chapter of his life story. One eye is on the present moment, the other eye looks ahead to see a future sparkling with excitement and possibilities.

I share in his sense of expectancy and anticipation. Yet I think there will always be a tiny part of my heart that wishes for just a little more time.

And there will definitely be a part of me that sees this in my mind’s eye as I talk to my son, both today and in the coming years:

During this time of year, especially, we would all do well to stay awake to the beauty and wonder of this beautiful place called now.

 

*This article was originally written/published by the author under the title “If I Had It to Do Over Again.”