Lately I have been thinking those “lasts.” You know, the last time you do something in parenting.
Like the last time I changed a diaper. The last time I held my child’s hand. The last time I was awoken in the middle of the night because my child was scared. The last time I stepped on a Lego.
We tend to spend a lot of time dwelling on the firsts…the first tooth, the first steps, the first word, the first day of school, the first time behind the wheel. These are such important moments in our children’s lives. But we don’t realize that for every first moment, there is going to be a last.
Because I have been thinking about lasts lately, I feel like I am more patient and accommodating. There are times I don’t feel like doing things, such as driving my children to school when my teen doesn’t feel like it. Or picking up after the mess they left behind.
And while I don’t want to make these habits so that they become dependent upon me, I am less likely to complain. It’s strange how those little things suddenly look so different in the light of “lasts.”
I know it’s because I am facing the end of my oldest son’s year of high school. And now with the prospect of him leaving for the Air Force, the reality has slapped me in the face.
I look at my other two children and feel like I really have to make the most of the time I have left
with them. So while I will always appreciate and remember their firsts, I am also going to be thinking about those lasts.
We all get weary in parenting. No matter what stage we are in, there are challenges to overcome. But as you are going through the battles, spend time thinking about your “lasts.” It just might change your perspective.
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