Where does the time go?

This morning as I am writing this, I have already been up since about 4:30 a.m.

I am sitting here writing, thinking that I have to get this article done and don't want to miss my deadline, while sitting next to neat piles of folded laundry, another load of laundry waiting to be folded in the dryer, shirts that are looking to be put onto hangers, and my first grader is also dealing with a leg ailment, which in turn will lead to a clinic visit later this morning.

Life is just busy.

It happens.

I get it.

Believe me.

But we need to keep reminding ourselves to look for the little things.

They matter and they are important too.

This past week we celebrated a huge milestone in our family. Our oldest just celebrated his 21st birthday.

Now as a mother, I am internally crying and haven't stopped for days.

How did this happen? Why did it happen so fast? Why do I feel as if a lifetime of memories happened in just one flash, meanwhile, I am still trying to remember what I had for dinner last night?

So the little things that I am talking about is celebrating the milestones together as a family. What I find very sweet, is that my youngest took the time to YouTube "presents" for her older brother. Unbeknownst to me, she knew just what she wanted to get him and was not settling on just any present. She was out for specific ones. When we set out on our shopping trip, I figured it would be at least an hour. Oh no, it was two and half hours later that we finished. In addition, she had to pick out a card from her and her sister, (she needed help reading them) and she also picked out her own wrapping paper that was different from mine because he specifically had to know which presents were from her and her sister, and which were from Mom and Dad. In addition, she took her sweet time signing his birthday card with the time and attention she wanted to give it.

By the time we got home, we wrapped his presents together. She asked me several times to text him to see if he was coming home that night, 'cause there was a specific present that she wanted to play with, with him, and couldn't wait. She also said that she wanted to let him open that one early if he came home that night because they were going to play together with juice. Needless to say, he came home the next day (after spending the night at a friend's house), and they opened the presents together. She so proudly handed them to him, one by one, and it was such a delight to watch her be so happy to give it to someone else. She was so proud of what she had done. She told him to look on YouTube for the specific gift as well. He told her she was the best sister ever and gave her a big hug.

To watch this was the best present to receive as a parent.

So the point I am trying to make here is to take time out to notice the little things. Because in the end, they all add up to be the really big things, and they are the ones which seem to matter most and that we have the best memories of.