Let Me Hold You Longer

I took my daughters swimming today at the Highland pool. And I didn't go with them. And my heart broke just a little bit as I drove away. They met 2 friends there; I feel confident in the life guards there; I never went there with my mom as a kid. Still, it hurt. They walked up, purchased their tickets to get in, and strolled in all on their own. They thought it was cool to have their own money and be on their own for a few hours. I went home and cleaned the bathroom. Sigh.

On the last day of school this year, a book company set up a bunch of racks of books in our hallway. Almost everything they had was on sale. When I walked through there on my way back from lunch that day, the other teachers who I was with and I looked at many of these books. I saw one called Let Me Hold You Longer. The title intrigued me and I read the entire book standing there in the hall. And tears came to my eyes. The book talks about how we as parents take note of all of our children's "firsts." We take pictures, record the dates, and try our best to remember those moments. But who knows when something might be happening for the LAST time? The last time they color a picture for you? The last time they need help tying their shoes? The last time they play house, or cars? The last time they WANT to sleep in bed with you? Ahhhhh..........thinking about these things is making me crazy.

I thought about this today. Was last summer the last time I would go to a public swimming pool with my daughters? Probably not, but maybe it was the last time they needed me to go with them. Oh boy. I need to make sure I enjoy every moment. Life is so short and they grow up sooooo fast.