Miss This

I've mentioned I'm the Biggest Sap, right? Just checking before I launch into this story.

Buddy and I had dropped Rosie off at preschool, and were heading downtown to pick up a few things. As he chowed down on his apple in the backseat, and I bit into a slice of orange, the song "You're Gonna Miss This" by Trace Adkins filled the car:

You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These Are Some Good Times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this

As the juice of the orange slice filled my mouth, I felt my chest tighten and my eyes well up with tears. I realized that with Rosie going to preschool, my time with her was only going to continue to decrease as time went on. She never again would be with me full time; school and other obligations would continue to take her away from me.

And after three and a half years of having that sweet girl around me 24/7, the above realization hit me like a ton of bricks. Even though I know she loves preschool and is doing so well there. Even though I know I still have Buddy full time.

I already "miss this". Yet, how many times did I feel like I was battling each day to get to the end? How many times did I wish that she was older?

It's human nature to want certain seasons of our life to pass more quickly, and it's human nature to then want those times back once they're gone. The best we can do is live in the present and be thankful for the here and now.