Embrace the Moment

I have a turquoise bracelet with a little silver cross with a quote that says, “embrace the moment”. I bought it at a Bible bookstore and really only got it because of its color. I was looking at it one day thinking that I wish it had a scripture verse on it instead. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that “embrace the moment” is a perfect quote to have as a daily reminder.

One day, as I was taking a stroll down memory lane I found myself thinking about different times in my life and wishing I had taken the time to stop and embrace more of the moments. But instead, I was more focused on getting through them and on to the next.

This little walk down memory lane included watching some old videotapes. Since we no longer own a VCR, (I mean, who does anymore?) I borrowed my parent’s. I started watching the videos from what seemed to be a lifetime ago. I watched footage of my kids as infants, learning to crawl and walk. Videos of them playing and fighting with each other. School performances, sporting events, church events, and everything in between. Moments that I’ll treasure forever. Moments I wish I could go back and relive.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to be past the diaper changes, the 2 am feedings, and the terrible two’s. And although I often felt like I was going crazy and would have killed for a nap, I made it through. There are times when I long for those special moments. The little hands wrapped up in mine, the sweet snuggles and the little hugs that would hold on to me for dear life. The squishy cheeks for me to kiss and the beautiful little laughs that were contagious.

I know that I cherished it all back then, but had I really embraced every moment? Had I taken the time to just be in the moment instead of thinking about the next? Did I fully realize that there would be days when I would long to experience these moments again? I think for the most part, I was so tired and overwhelmed that my main focus was getting through the day without getting my child’s poop everywhere.

At what stage did you learn to embrace the moment?

Truthfully, how many of us, who are beyond the toddler years, can say we embraced each moment? I think there were moments when when I was more concerned about ruining these little nuggets. These tiny, helpless humans that God seemed to think we were responsible enough to care for. How many of us searched our “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” books? Wondering if the baby was too hot or too cold. Were they really comfortable being wrapped up tight like a burrito? Were they getting enough to eat?  Were they crying because they were hungry or because they had gas? Let’s face it, at least with our first baby, we lived pretty paranoid lives.

Before we knew it, the years passed us by, leaving us to wonder where had the time gone? So here I am, years later, with three teenagers. I still see those sweet eyes that once gazed into mine. I still see those baby faces, hidden behind the occasional eye-roll, and I see the young men and young woman they are becoming. And I know that these new moments won’t last forever either.

There will be days, when they’ve moved on, that I’ll miss these current moments as well. I’ll miss the random conversations in the kitchen about things going on in their lives. The family nights of buying buttered popcorn from the movie theater and watching a movie in the living room. The piano playing before heading off to school and randomly throughout the evening. The group hugs that spontaneously came about when my husband and I would be hugging.

Take the moments you have now and make them count.

It’s easy for us moms to get so busy that time flies right past us. It’s normal when the kids are going through tough seasons, to want to speed up time to a point when they’re passed all the drama. Don’t kick yourself, if like me, you wish you would’ve enjoyed certain times more than what you did. Take the moments you have now and make them count. Even the drama years.

Remind yourself that these moments won’t last forever. Take a step back, and take it all in. Take visual snapshots in your head and store them away in your heart. Cherish each laugh, every hug, each conversation, every special accomplishment and even the mundane daily moments. Cherish each day that God blesses you with. Embrace the moment! ♥