Making the Most of Time
Lisa at My So Called Glamorous Life is “If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?”
This one came pretty quick for me. I have never been super strong, super fast, or athletic in any way, so I have pretty much given up on wanting those things. My one freakish quality has been super-flexibility, but more times than not that has led to injury as much as anything good so I don’t desire more of that.
What I have been thinking about a lot recently is time. I know this is mostly because we are coming to the end of another school year and a big one at that (to me). My daughter is graduating from 5th grade and her elementary school tomorrow night. I know this is not as significant as my friends’ kids who are graduating from high school or college, but it has hit me still.
[caption id="attachment_1099" align="aligncenter" width="560"] big girl dress all ready to wear on graduation night[/caption]
Once my daughter graduates from elementary school I can no longer pretend that she is a little girl anymore. Even though she is still small in stature, her maturity tells me otherwise. She doesn’t need me as much anymore. She has stopped holding my hand and begun putting a healthy buffer zone between herself and me in public. She is practicing her huffs and eyerolls.
I have found myself wishing of late that I could just freeze time and keep my children exactly like they are.
Big enough to sleep through the night but young enough to want to cuddle on the sofa and watch silly movies together. Capable of handling all bathroom tasks by themselves, but still willing to come to us with all their day’s problems and joys. But even as I want to freeze time, there are moments in the past that I would like to revisit. This has got me longing a big for the ability to time travel. I got the idea while watching the movie About Time recently. Honestly, the movie had me wanting to join in on the jaunts to the past when I witnessed how useful having a Do-Over for some of life’s awkward moments would be. But I was truly sold on time travel when I saw the possibility of going back and re-living some of my favorite moments with my children in their younger years. I would love to experience my son falling asleep in my arms while nursing one more time. To hear his gentle breathing as his eyes flutter soft and tiny hand grasps mine would be heaven on earth. I’d also go back to the first time I pushed my daughter on a swingset. To see her wide smile of surprise, to hear her giggles keeping time with the sway of the swing.

A poem I wrote in April 10, 2008
What is Time, when it is the Moments that we treasure.
Days are long forgotten, Moments remembered evermore.
Glorious sparkling diamond Moments of pleasure
Grand Moments taken by luck like a horseshoe over the door.
Moments ,that all in all, represent our very measure
Moments that rise up In the soul like a mighty roar.
Heady Moments that make the body tremble like a Godly seizure.
Dear god above…I want more,
I promise Dena, that when you are a grandmother, you will again get to experience those beautiful moments of tenderness.
Thanks Rhonda 🙂
My youngest grandson can say his name – Lilac – that is toddler speak for Alek. I wish I remembered more toddler speak. What conversations we could have. Thankfully he understands adult speak, that makes me the dummy. Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and graduation ceremony.