by Marsha Twilley
I’ll never forget the moment I held my first baby girl in my arms. Once I was coherent enough to inhale her beauty and wonder, I marveled at every last detail of her skin: the way her nose was perfectly shaped; the red of her lips; the pure bliss of her sleep-filled face; her tiny fingers and toes and oh-so-perfectly- shaped EARS! I sat for hours staring at her while she slept. This beauty….this WONDER….had grown inside of ME for nine long months. And now, here she was!! As I stared through the hospital window out into that gray, cold and wet day, my heart was overflowing with warmth and promise as I was overcome with this precious little one and the clear fact that my life had just forever-changed.
When I was pregnant, I resented people making comments such as, “Oh! You’re pregnant???? Haha!!! You just wait!!!” or “Get ready to never sleep through the night again!” or “You better enjoy your showers while you can get them!” It literally upset me. Why did everyone have to rain on my parade? I was going to be a brand new parent, and I was thrilled with all the excitement and newness ahead.
It’s funny how, in the moment, we can feel so incredibly overwhelmed at times as parents. There were times I remember thinking to myself, “Will I never get to sit down and read a book again?” Having small children IS hard. There is no question. But it’s also WONDERFUL! Those precious HUGS! Those eager spirits! The little sponges that long to mimic you and please you!
Then, in a blink, they are out of diapers; they are off to school; then off to summer camp; then off to middle school; then off to recitals and practices. Playdates are traded for sleepovers. Then come braces and adolescence and first dances. Then high school. First jobs. Prom. How does high school graduation come so crazy-fast???? I’m still completely stunned at the speed in which this came for me.
For the life of me, I don’t think I will ever truly grasp “time.” It’s here; then it’s gone. And it’s what we’ve done with all those little moments that really, really matter. Understanding that those moments impact your children into who they are at this moment and who they are becoming is HUGE!
If you find yourself in these days, when you are looking back asking, “Where did the time go, and how am I going to help get my child off to their first great adventure?” I can help! Having a college consultant who has experience, not only as a professional, but as a parent, will be a huge benefit to you as we partner together to guide and support your precious one as they navigate the new paths ahead.