My Time Machine

I’m reminded everywhere of the brevity of life. Scripture says that, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall.” My kids are growing up before my eyes; everyone says, “Enjoy these years, because they will be gone soon.” I know they are right, but I can't slow them down.

And what's sad is that often I want to speed them up. The chaos is difficult—the diapers, the dirty faces, the high maintenance. (Of course, the physical demands will only transition to emotional demands in later years, but I can’t fully appreciate that yet.)

Even though it is a difficult period, I’m sad to see my kids transition from infant to toddler, from boy to young man. But I have a new trick that helps me to drink in these days as if from a fire hydrant. This may sound strange to most, but perhaps young parents can identify and appreciate this thought.

What I do is I imagine that I’m 50 or 60 years old, and that Bailey (for example) is a beautiful young woman who is married and has moved away. This isn’t hard to do, since life is flying by and will be here before I know it. In my imagination, how much money would I give to go back in time once more and carry that cute little 6-year old around on my back again? How much would I give to pick up that 40 pounder, and tickle her, and wrestle with her, and cuddle on the couch? I imagine how quiet the house is, how mature she looks as an adult; I imagine how the days are gone that we played tag, and soccer and rode bikes (remember Father of the Bride?).
Then the magic comes when I snap out of the future, and there she is! Ready for that, and much more.

When I remember it is not my job to hold on to her, but to prepare her for adulthood; when I realize how short these years are and how they are flying by—then these moments, yes full of physical fatigue, a messy house and a weed infested yard, these moments are as magical as traveling back in time.