Tick Tock

As summer has flown by and I wonder where it all went so quickly, I wish I had more time.  More time to vacation, more time to spend with the kids, more time to relax, more time to be silly and have fun. 

Not long ago, my daughter and I were discussing a website she wanted to join.  I told her I felt she already spent enough time on the computer and joining this new site would just add to that time.  I tried to point out that there is little more than a month left to her summer vacation and soon she would be back in school, without the luxury of deciding when to go out and play, when she would have to be on the computer doing homework.  That the days would grow shorter and the weather colder and she would find herself longing for these summer days again. 

What my daughter wasn't understanding, what I was trying to explain to her, is that each moment, every second we breathe, is our life.  There are no do-overs.  If there is something we want to do, now is the time.  No one is guaranteed a tomorrow.  If there is an interest she wants to pursue, the time is now.  As a kid, this is her time to have fun, be silly, play games, imagine, explore, try new things, and broaden her horizons.  And I think she would be sad if she looked back on it and saw that all she did was spend all her time on the computer and missed out on other things.  As a parent, I limit that computer time.  Sure, it makes me unpopular, but it forces her to pursue her other interests and encourages her to imagine other possibilities.

Parents don't get do-overs either.  We have one shot with our kids.  We don't get to redo their childhoods when we realize one day that we wish we had spent more time with them.  Now is the time to put the computer aside and color that page with your child or let the laundry linger a little longer and go fishing together.  This is the time to leave work on time and gather around a campfire in the backyard.  Kids won't care that you worked overtime to bring in a few extra dollars.  What they will remember, what they will cherish is that you went sledding with them when you had that big snowstorm.  Or that you used to cook hotdogs over the firepit in the backyard and then tell scary stories.  They'll remember movie nights, game nights, and extra cuddles. 

Life is this moment.  It's not tomorrow.  It's not yesterday.  It's this moment.  And what you choose to do with this moment will define how your life will be.  Will you be kind to others?  Will you choose to be happy with what you have or spend your time always wanting more?  Will you love your family or hurt them?  Will you comfort someone in need or turn away because you don't want to get involved?  Will you love with all your heart?  How will you spend this moment? How will you live life? Whatever you choose to do, your child will learn from it. How do you want them to live their lives?