I know that almost every parent I know is tired. I also know that my oldest daughter just turned 19 and I wonder where the years went. And you’re probably experiencing the same thing, right? My daughter is taller than me now, as is her 16-year-old younger brother. They are visual reminders every day of my children’s height and young age.
So what makes the days so long for us parents? Well, right from the start, our newborn babies wake up every three hours crying because they want to eat and then they need a diaper change. This pattern of behavior is really difficult for us new parents. We are always tired. Parenting is a 24 hour job. I have a daughter who is 19 years old and I can honestly say that I have had 19 years of interrupted sleep. It is a never-ending job of supervising and caring for my children.
Years are short due to the natural high level of activity that comes with being a parent. When we are overwhelmed, what we always are as parents, time flies by. And when time passes quickly, it soon adds to the years that pass too quickly. Many times this provokes a feeling of nostalgia as we wonder where all the years went. However, hopefully, it is just a mild feeling of nostalgia, and not feelings of regret.
So what is our best course of action in dealing with all these long days and short years? Well, the first would be to never give up. Never give up. Never throw in the parenting towel because, as my grandmother used to say, “This too will pass.” And it absolutely will pass, whether we want it to or not … and then we will lose it …
Now, as my grandfather always said: “Go learn, lead and open the way to a better world for all of us.” Remember that while the days are long; the years are short. And once again parents, thank you in advance for all that you do and all that you will do …