Time flies, especially for parents
Published 1:51 pm Thursday, August 15, 2013
Just a few short months ago I was wishing time would hurry up and move along. Waiting on an event to happen as an adult is like a child waiting on Christmas. Time just seems to drag.
But, this week, I’m changing my tune. I know I’ve probably changed my wishes from hurrying time along to making it stand still many times in my life. But this time I have a wonderful reason for asking time to slow down…not to stop, but to slow down just a little bit.
The reason for my plea that would time slow down a little is the fact that my child will take his first steps into high school Monday morning, and although he doesn’t seem to mind one bit about the change ahead of him, this mama is not happy in the least that her child is going to be a high school student.
Where has the time gone? Wasn’t it just last year that I left my five-year-old little boy at the elementary school and quickly rushed out so that he wouldn’t see me cry? I guess I’ll have to make another one of those mad dashes for the door again next week – except we all know that I won’t be at the school with him. I’ll be crying as I drive away from dropping him off in the spot where all of his friends have vowed to gather and take special precautions that I don’t say “I love you” so that it could possibily be overhead by any of those friends.
I’m sure between now and Monday morning, I’ll get the lecture about not waving or honking the horn or talking to anyone else in the drop-off line while delivering him to the school.
I knew time was slipping up and taking my little boy away from me when we began the task of shopping for new school clothes and shoes. When it was required that I buy size 13 shoes — and not the child’s size 13 — I knew my little boy was practically gone.
My best hope is that he’ll be glad to tell me about his first day as a freshman when he gets home on Monday evening. I pray that he still wants to share his day with his mom away from the ears of his friends who might snicker or pester him about having a conversaton about school with his mom.
I know my precious child is still inside that man-sized body. I see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice. I even sense it in my soul.
I still wish that time would slow down just a little. I want to stand at the end of the sidewalk to the school just one more time and have my son rush into my arms because he misses me and can’t wait to share his day with me.
I don’t expect that to happen Monday —or any other day, for that matter. But, I sure wish it would.