Once Upon a Snowy Sunday Afternoon

 Those of us who are currently in the thick of it hear it all the time from older ladies:

"treasure these days with your little ones...."

"they grow up so fast..."

"these are the very best moments of your life"

I think I understand {at least in part} what these dear ladies are trying to communicate to me. But sometimes I just feel like staring at them and saying,

 "REALLY!!??! Do you remember how tired you were and that you never got to read your own book and that a big shopping day really just means getting groceries and toilet paper??!!  Do you remember all the bickering and fighting??!! Do you remember pining for a moment of quietness??  Really...do you remember THAT part??!!"

Some days though I really do feel like an older woman and maybe that's because {SHOCK OF ALL SHOCKS} I am quickly headed towards middle age.

 (don't laugh if you already consider me to be middle age. don't laugh either if you consider me to just be crawling out of the cradle.momentarily I would be happy to crawl back into the cradle.)

What I really think those who have gone before me in this journey of motherhood are trying to say through their sweet sentiments is:

1. What you are doing is worthwhile. 
2.  20 years from today the memories of the these hard days will fade. Your memories of joy will outweigh your memories of the tough...so,  Grow joy!!!
3.  Time is fleeting.

I agree. 100%

However, I easily lose perspective. 

And some days are just H.A.R.D.

That's why I can't hear it too often from these older ladies.

This past Sunday afternoon I hopped over into my More Mature Mothering Mode.

I looked around me and I just knew. This. This is one of the scenes that will be etched in my heart forever. 

This is a scene that will play over and over in my mind when I am a 60 year old lady sitting in church watching the young families around me.

And I will wish to push rewind and be in my living room with these little people again. 

And I will wish that I had simply reveled in the joy of these moments MORE when they were my everyday reality.

And after church I will hobble over to that young mom and with moist eyes I'll whisper: 

"these are the best days of your life. treasure the moments....."

P.S. There are a few other things that I hope I say to that young mom when I am 60. I might document that sometime soon mostly as a reference for me to come back to in 30 years.