“The days are long but mija, the years are so short.” These were the words from a sweet little lady at the grocery store standing behind an exhausted first time mama in line. I was so frazzled & operating off of no sleep. She caught on due to her own experience of having small children now several years behind her.
I remember crying in my room simply because I was exhausted. A new mom far away from home desperately trying to learn motherhood. My son was just a couple of months old and I made up my mind that day, I was never going to have more kids, & I could not wait for this one to get older.
Today has been 3 months since my son started kindergarten. I cried each time I dropped him off that first week. He wasn’t going to be with me for the first time in his life. Each day he comes home and tells me all about his friends, what he’s learning, & his favorite parts of recess. I am always eager to pick him up & listen to these little details of his life at school. The other day it hit me, he has a life outside of me already. His life at school is separate from me & this is just kindergarten. Kindergarten came so quick, I can only imagine that in just a few blinks college will be here.
Those moments of crying alone in my room were hard, but they were so brief. When I am taking Noah to school each morning, I don’t even think of those moments. All I think about is him right now, walking into his class with his backpack saying, “Hasta luego!” My motherhood journey is starting to feel more like I’m sitting in the front seat of a race car & I am desperately trying to pump the breaks.
So last night as I was nursing my 4th baby at 3am completely exhausted. But I had a smile one my face instead of tears running down my cheeks. And just like that I was reminded of the words from that sweet little lady, “The days are long but mija, the years are so short.” Soon he will be running around with his brothers & this moment is so special but so brief.
Mama, I know you are tired & things may be really hard right now. So when the days are long, be present & look for the precious moments. . . because the years, they are oh so short.
