I long for the days when my arms were filled with little ones. I miss those tiny hands that would grab my face and greet me with sweet kisses as soon as I walked through the door. I can still recall the scent of your hair while I carried you to bed each night. The early mornings when you would quietly slip under the covers next to me, eyes barely open, murmuring, “Just a few more minutes, mommy,” when I reminded you it was time to get ready for school and work.
I can’t remember the last time one of you called out, “Pick me up!” with outstretched arms, your soft, five-year-old limbs tangled in my hair as you wrapped around my neck.
Oh, how I wish I’d known—known that those moments were the last times I’d hear your giggles echoing down the hall, leaping in your crib, shouting, “Mama, I’m AWAKE!” Known that it would be the final time I’d read you a story, when you pleaded, “Just one more page, Mommy.” Known it would be the last moment I’d kneel in the middle of a bustling street to tie your little sneaker laces or get up from a park bench when you begged, “Push me HIGHER!”
I didn’t realize that those would be the final times I’d hear ‘Mommy’ or ‘Mama,’ and that soon I’d just be ‘Mom’ or ‘she’ when you’re in a particularly teenage mood.
You never truly know when these transitions happen. Perhaps it’s intentional, unfolding quickly, like tearing off a Band-Aid, so that life continues to move forward and before you know it, you’re grown, almost overnight.
Yet, I still see you as my little ones. I can still feel your tiny hearts beating against my chest as you sleep, milk-drunk. I can still picture your little palms and graceful fingers entwined with mine as we embark on our next adventure.
I will always be your mom. You will forever be my babies, even when you grow up. I don’t think I would have done anything differently. I just wish I’d had the foresight to cherish those moments a little more.
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Summary
This reflective piece captures a parent’s nostalgia for the tender moments of early childhood in the face of their child’s teenage years. It emphasizes the bittersweet nature of growing up, the fleeting nature of childhood, and the lasting bond between parent and child, despite the inevitable changes that come with age.