Don't miss the parade
Even at snail’s pace, it really does go by fast.
For the first time, all three of my children are in the same school, which goes through 8th grade. We have one drop off, one pick up, and the same spring break for the next three years. Hallelujah!
Every October, our school has a Halloween parade, which is a beloved tradition. Each class gets to show off their costumes to the rest of the school and the throngs of parents who line up, phones ready.
Watching every grade from the tiny four year olds to the adult-sized 8th graders, I was struck by the feeling that it’s all happening so fast. Have you ever had the awareness of time passing quickly, even while being in a moment? When you’re in the thick of day-to-day parenting, you don’t notice how much your kids are growing. Your focus is on homework, sports, piano practice, laundry, bedtime. Rinse, repeat, and do it all again the next day. But when you see the stark contrast of kids from grade to grade and what a difference even one year makes, it becomes so clear: life happens fast. Blink and your kindergartener is in middle school. Blink again and they’ll be ready to head off to college. It reminded me of a passage from This Time Tomorrow that perfectly captures this bittersweet ache:
“But no one ever talked to me about it, that’s for sure—what it feels like to love someone so much, and then have them change into someone else. You love that new person, but it’s different, and it all happens so fast, even the parts that feel like they just last for fucking ever while they’re happening.”
Emma Straub, This Time Tomorrow
One of the best things about leaving my Google job has been the flexibility to volunteer more at my kids’ school. I missed a lot of opportunities when they were younger and I was commuting four or five days a week.
Tonight, give your kids or pets an extra snuggle. Call your parents or that friend you haven’t caught up with in a while. Time with our loved ones is the greatest gift.
P.S.
I loved reading This Time Tomorrow and highly recommend it! I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through this link, at no extra cost to you.