Time

Sometimes we say

What will we do?

We have an hour before bedtime

Unsure how to fill the minutes

For our children who need so much

Then I hold my oldest child

And realize he no longer fits in my lap

His gangly legs an awkward bundle

As I try to scrunch him down

Into the baby he was once

To be a parent

Is to do battle with time

We understand that it will exhaust us

Tantrums, sickness, “no you can’t do that”, tickles, chasing, stories, meal times, decisions, discipline

It’s work that you feel deep in your bones

Yet to also know

It is like trying to hold sand

And watch it fall uncontrollably through your fingertips.

As these babies grow and grow, farther into themselves and away from needing us.

Time, please show us grace.