Cherish Today

As a young mom, one piece of advice I hear repeated over and over is "cherish these days with your kids because they pass all too quickly." This piece of advice is usually prefaced by the words, "you probably hear this all the time, but its true."

I've been thinking about those words. I hear them a lot. I'm glad I hear them a lot because they are true and often, I need the reminder.

I cherish my kids. I really do enjoy this stage of life. It makes me sad when I realize how fast it is going. But, I still need the reminder because sometimes I get busy. Sometimes I spend more time cooking, cleaning, writing, blogging, bill-paying, etc. than I spend cherishing my children. Not that any of those things are bad. Some of them are necessary. All of them have their proper place.

It just comes down to this. At the end of my life (or even at the end of this season of my life), I will not look back and regret time spent reading books, coloring, taking walks, playing games, and being with my kids. But, if I let busyness steal away those moments, there will be regret.

Take time today to:

- look into your child's face, memorize it as it is today in your mind's eye
- tickle your child
- give your little one a bear hug and tell them how much they mean to you
- read a book together
- go for a walk and enjoy God's creation
- color together
- play together
- laugh together

We only have a few short years with our children before they are grown. Cherish the stage of life you are in today so that when you look back there will be no regrets.