The Days are Long, but the Years are Short

Last updated on: September 3, 2013 at 12:15 pm by Amy Julia Becker

The Days are Long, but the Years are Short 2013-09-03T12:15:05-04:00 Amy Julia Becker

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

When my kids were younger, older parents would see us in public and say things like, “Cherish every moment. It goes by so fast.” Or, “I remember those days like they were yesterday. I miss them.” Or, “Be thankful for the time you have with them. Before you know it, they’ll be in college.”

I would always smile and murmur some socially-appropriate response, but I found the comments annoying at best and guilt-inducing at worst. Because I wasn’t able to cherish every moment when “every moment” seemed to involve another squabble or tinkle-accident or spill. When I needed another Diet Coke right now because I had been up three times at night. When a trip to the library became a public brawl. When 4:30 pm arrived and I wanted to go ahead and put them in their pajamas because I had exhausted every ounce of creative energy I had. And there were three hours to go.

But one day someone said, “The days are long, but the years are short.” Her words still didn’t quite resonate with me. But I could imagine a day when they might. Back then, Penny and William were in preschool a couple of hours a day. I still saw PLENTY of them, and the days, weeks, months, and years all trickled past. The days were long, and the years were too.

But then Penny started kindergarten, and her years began to speed up. It still surprises me that she can tie her own shoes and pack her own backpack and add numbers and read chapter books and say, “Whatever, Mom” as if she will be entering middle school any day now. As soon as she left our roof for six or seven hours a day, the years sped up, and I have been racing to catch up with her ever since.

William starts kindergarten this week, and as much as I have been eagerly anticipating this day, there’s also a little pang of longing. I will miss the walks we took together this summer, when he asked me about the osprey nest in the marsh near our house, when he said, “Oh Mom, look! I like the cloud that looks like an angel on top of a kite!” I will miss the way he made me laugh every time he was surprised by something and then said, “Oh my. No more pie.”

I still have some long years left with Marilee, though she is so eager to follow in her older siblings footsteps that she might slip away from me early. A few weeks back, she asked me, “Mama? When I gonna get oldah? When I gonna getta dwive a cawah?” I want to capture her intonation, the way she phrases things–“I did be very careful” … “Can I plug it out?” … “Sank you, Mama.” But I know that holding onto who she is today is as elusive as catching William’s kite-angel cloud. And I know that I will always want to hold on to exactly who they are even as they, and I, strain towards who they are becoming.

And so I start this school year grateful for the long days of summer, days of collecting toenail shells and lying in the hammock in the backyard and pulling weeds out of the garden. Days of cuddling on the sofa with a book for each child because there’s time and we don’t have anywhere else to be. Days of family and friendships and bike riding and ice cream eating and watching the sunset from the third floor deck.

The days are long, but the years are short.

Previous Post

August 19, 2013

Interrupting Vacation to tell you...

Next Post

September 4, 2013 Do Your Kids Practice Yoga?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Articles Books Disability Down Syndrome Faith family Perfectly Human Uncategorized

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 September 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz