Those Days

• Posted on August 20, 2012
• in Uncategorized
• by Michelle

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I was sitting in church a couple weekends ago, with two older women sitting in the pew  behind me. They appeared to be in their 60′s, oohing and ahhing over my 10 month old and  how cute she was. She would smile at them and wave, and her presence seemed to brighten their day. After about an hour and a half of mass, however, my sweet little baby started fussing. To be fair, after having to sit that long in church, even I start fussing. My toddler squirmed and dropped her pacifier at least 2 or 3 times in the pew in front of us.  We had embarked on a mother-daughter outing on this particular day (code for “no re- enforcements”), and I found myself getting a bit flustered. As my baby girl flung her binky yet once more into a nearby, yet just-out-of-reach, pew, I sighed. Audibly. One of the ladies behind me whispered to her friend, “I don’t miss those days.” I cocked my head to one side. The new mom in me went immediately on the defensive. I thought, how could
you not miss “those days?” “Those days” go hand in hand with the smiling and waving you joyfully experienced less than an hour ago. Are “those days” always easy? Are they constantly filled with smiles and waves and cooing and cuteness? No. But that’s exactly what makes those precious little moments all the more precious. And memorable. I’m not so much of an optimist to think that I won’t remember the not-so-good times right along with the I’m-so-happy-I-could-cry times. But I’m hoping I’ll remember more of the latter. And that I’ll remember how one enhanced the other. How one made me appreciate the other; made me relish, with all the awesomeness of motherhood, those treasured, blissful moments you wish you could bottle and later bask in when everything seems gray in your world. Right now, I feel like I’ll ALWAYS miss “those days,” as my eyes dance with the wonderment of my sweet girl. As I can see her mind working, exploring, enjoying and learning. Pondering what kind of woman she’ll grow up to be when I reach the age of the women who sat behind me that day. I suppose, by then, maybe I won’t “miss” those days either. Not in the sense that I would want them back. I think when we pine for something in our past, it prevents
us from truly enjoying and embracing our “present.” And I’m guessing the beautiful moments
highlighting “those days” will be enhanced with new joyous moments when my daughter becomes
a little girl, a young woman and eventually a mother herself. No, perhaps I won’t “miss” them. But I will cherish them and look back on them with the love and blessedness they deserve.