One day I will not spend precious minutes of my morning looking for my mascara...only to find it in the makeup bag of one of my daughters.
One day I will get ready to leave the house for the day and every last light will not be on.
One day I will no longer have to enter into bedrooms to find my missing pieces of silverware, plates, cups, and bowls.
One day I will not have to horde my socks for fear of losing them to someone else.
One day all of my shoes will remain in my closet, unless I choose to wear them, and all of my hoodies will remain in my possession.
One day my entryway will not look like a drop zone of shoes, backpacks, coats, random school papers, various books, and sometimes old lunch bags.
One day I will fall asleep and no longer be woken up by the sound of someone taking a bath or a shower during the late hours of the night.
Sometimes those days sound dreamy. But lately I've been reminded of just how fast time flies. And before those "dreamy" days become my escape, I realize the other side of what that time will look like...
One day it will just be Vaughn and I sitting around the dinner table sharing our "highs" and "lows" of the day.
One day I'll walk in the door and there will no longer be voices that call out, "Mommy!"
One day I will no longer hear laughter coming up through the vents.
One day I'll lose my "in" on all that is trending and up to date.
One day when it's cleaning day, I'll be down to 2 pairs of hands instead of 6. (say it's not so!)
One day I'm guessing my house will feel oddly empty and quiet.
I remember longing for the day when all my girls might sleep through the night. Now, there is an ache in my heart as I realize how close we are to only tucking three girls into bed at night instead of four.
Thinking about such things reminds me of seasons. For every season, there are things that I love and things that I don't. Some seasons for me are easier than others. Winter is not my favorite season. It's cold and the days are short. It's cold.
But my second oldest was born in the winter. And some of our family's favorite memories are made as we travel "home" each Christmas during the winter. Without winter, would spring feel nearly as glorious?
I'm learning to embrace whatever season I'm in. I'm trying not to rush past it, to hope for something different, or to simply miss out on the present. I don't want to live wishing for what has been or fear what is to come. I don't want to be consumed by regrets or be distracted by always wanting more.
I want to embrace contentment and trust. I want to make sure we always have margin in our lives to soak in the present. I want to value the ordinary, the everyday, the normal, because that's where we're living most of our days.
Giving thanks helps me do just that.
As I take the time to recognize the Father's hand at work in my life, as I give thanks for all He has done and is doing, my cup overflows.
Ann Voskam writes that giving thanks is "an invitation to slow time down with weight of full attention."
My prayer is that as my heart gives thanks, as I give my full attention to what is happening around me, time might slow, my eyes might see, my heart might feel, and I might be transformed through simply being present.
To My Girls -- I am so thankful for each of you...thankful beyond words. Thanks for putting up with my crazy when I lose sight of the big picture and I lose my mind for just a second as I recover my "things". I know there are days when you catch me just staring at you...I'm trying to soak you up. I don't want to forget these days, or the days that have passed or the days to come. I want to enjoy the moment, while hoping for the future. I already have so many treasured memories, and I love nothing more than to sit around the table and listen to you girls talk about "remember when....". My hope is that we will continue to make memories as we embrace the everyday. And I know full well that each season will be a gift.
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