“Last night, I fell asleep holding our baby girl. I had just fed her, and she was content enough to fall asleep on my chest. This isn’t something I often get to cherish, so I let myself get lost in her sweet nuzzling and drifting off as well. It was an in-and-out kind of sleep; heavy, but light.
The older girls were cuddling up to my husband on the couch, all watching a movie next to me. Our four-year-old fell asleep across my lap. A little slice of heaven on Earth.
In those moments of lighter sleep, drifting back into the conversations around me, I overheard our oldest daughter talking to my husband about the age-gap between her and our baby girl. They decided our oldest would start college when she was in second grade. Our second oldest was not to be left out of the conversation, figuring out what her age would be as well.
Beautiful friends, I don’t know what part of the word exchange hit me the most, but suddenly, I felt a lump in my throat, and my breath was gone. This wasn’t something I wanted to think about in this God-given moment.
Our babies have grown up.
Gone.
On their own; not needing us 24-7.
I could feel the tears welling, but since no one knew I was listening, I let them quietly flow.
Sweet souls, how many times have you asked Him for the gift of time to slow down? For a slower pace, so you can simply ‘be’ and enjoy? To escape the rhythm of life’s rush…even for just a few moments?
It’s here, precious friends.
The stillness.
The slowing down.
The catching of our breath.
The resting of our hearts.
The exhaling of our souls.
It’s here.
Our circumstances might not be at-all ideal, but within this cloud of uncertainty hanging overhead, we’ve been given this most beautiful gift. An unexpected one. Yet, one to be embraced and treasured.
The gift of time.
Time with family.
Time to unwind.
Time to rest.
Time to refresh.
Time to disconnect.
Time to reconnect.
Time to reevaluate.
Time to love in ways we’ve never loved before.
Time to re-experience life as He always intended.
Time to draw closer to Him.
Cherishing.
Inhaling.
Enjoying.
One moment at a time.
One breath at a time.
One memory at a time.
Time.
Let’s unwrap this gift, slowly, sweet souls.
And enjoy every tiny second this incredible blessing has to offer.”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Simply Complex Mom. Submit your own story here and be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories.
Read more from Simply Complex Mom:
Do you know someone who could benefit from reading this? SHARE this story on Facebook with family and friends.