So many lessons.
So many things he could have reminded me of … last things he could have said. But of course, he knew what I needed to hear. The kids and I had come for a quick visit but didn’t want to spread any germs to him or tire him out, so we were mostly staying outside.
I imagine he was inside the house praying for us before he decided that he would use all the strength and energy he had for the day to walk outside and watch the kids swim for a bit. I imagine the Holy Spirit tapping on his heart to know what to say, giving him the strength to say it, and giving us this gift of one last special time together. I imagine that PaPaw knew it would be the last one.
“Enjoy them.” Two words I repeat and remind myself of often.
“Before you know it they’ll be grown and gone. Enjoy them every day.”
The kids at the time were ages 10, 8, 6, and almost 2. I love my children with my whole heart. I love that I get to homeschool them and spend a lot of time with them. But I also stress out about them a ton. I get frustrated a ton. I worry so much about guiding them in the way they should go and building good character. A lot of times I forget to enjoy them.
Parenting is so hard! Our three oldest are all just around 2 years apart, and I remember when they were all either toddlers or babies at the same time. It was the toughest stage! And I remember hearing people say things about how fast it goes. “Don’t blink,” they would say. But I felt more like I was in survival mode! It was all so chaotic and … hard! Every stage is hard in its own way. It’s easy to focus on the chaotic and the hard stuff.