A reflection on time from a few years ago…
“Put your leggings on.”
“Put your leggings on.”
“Are your leggings on?”
“Brush your teeth, guys.” “Guys, did you brush your teeth?”
“Hurry up you guys. Guys, get ready.”
I’m uttering these words urgently as we get ready for school and work, respectively, and one daughter is running around with her head poking through the sleeve hole of her dress to the amusement of another daughter. Giggles and laughter fills the air as I yell urgently “Guys! Please! Hurry! I have a meeting. We have to go.” I look at them as they run around, half dressed, hysterical and I add, “Don’t you care that I have a meeting?”
My seven year old stops and looks up, her big brown eyes turn mournful through the sleeve of her dress, she sorrowfully responds, “Yes.”
My 11-year-old looks at me thoughtfully and says, “Um…”
Then, my seven year old pulls her head through the top of her dress and says truthfully, “We kind of care.”
Sigh.
In any case, we missed the bus.
As I’m driving them to school, I visualize myself running, once again, frantically to my meeting, a little disheveled, a little harried and a little late, not for the first time.
I look in the rear view mirror and I groan. Then I say, “Okay – so I’m late. What are you gonna’ do – right, guys?”
Clara, my sixth grader, raises an eyebrow and says, “Hey, you’re the ones who thought it would be a good idea to have children.”
She makes me laugh.
And, she is right.
One day I’ll miss this. I’ll miss that someone has to bounce up and down on the bed five times before her legs are calm enough to insert into her pink leggings.
I’ll miss the rush to school and the kisses planted on my face as they hurriedly exit the car. But, the point is – even though they are late, and there are two teachers stationed on the walk glancing into cars with expressions that say, “Hurry up,” these girls always take the time for a quick hug and a kiss.
Time. These kids know what it’s good for.
It’s good to take time to bounce on the bed, make someone laugh, draw a picture, eat an egg and plant a kiss on the face of someone you love.
Yup. We did think it was a good idea to have kids.
Best decision we ever made.