My oldest turned 17 last week and with this comes a flurry of emotions.
She’s growing up. VERY FAST. And that’s hard for this mama. Soon, as she keeps reminding me, she will be out of the house and in college. To which her sister reminds me that she won’t be far behind.
It seems that the older I get, or more accurately, the older my children get, life goes faster. Like it is speeding up and I can’t get it to slow down.
Someone gave a very accurate statement the other day where they said, “The days are long, but the years are fast.”
I couldn’t agree more. The days seems to be long, but looking back I wonder where they went because they are actually going faster than I realize.
What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
James 4:14
Life goes so incredibly fast. We are just a vapor. And as one child is preparing to take that leap into adulthood, I am finding more and more that need to make moments count.
Several years ago, I had someone tell me that they worked so hard and such long hours so that they could make money and spend it on their kids. To buy them stuff. I remember feeling heartbroken. I told this individual that I don’t think the kids care as much about stuff as they do about spending time with them. In my experience, my kids do not remember 95% of the things that I have bought them, but they remember the memories we’ve made.
My oldest still talks about us going to Mexico when she was 6 and handing out toys to kids in need, but she can’t remember what I got her for Christmas two years ago. My youngest still remembers our family vacation to Wisconsin Dells in 2019, but can’t remember what I gave her for her birthday.
My husband and I have worked very hard to make moments with our kids. This last year, we decided that we weren’t going to do Christmas gifts, we decided to take what money we would spend on gifts and put that towards a great family vacation for all of us. So each of the girls had to put together their own presentations on where we should go, what it would cost and then we would all vote. It was so much fun! The kids enjoyed doing that more than getting gifts!
The other day, to celebrate the escape of winter (finally!) we took the kids golfing. Now, the only person that is good at golf is my husband. He rocks at it. The rest of us, not so much. But we try and we have fun. And we laugh. A LOT. Especially when all of us, including my husband, couldn’t hit our ball over the water hazard. Watching my oldest daughter double over in laughter as she gets her ball stuck in the mud on the embankment. (We literally were able to lean over and pull it out…lol)
This is what we should be striving for. Making moments and memories that will last. Spending our time wisely with our children and our loved ones. I’m not naïve, I know this isn’t easy. Everyone has a million things going on, myself included. But it is being strategic and prioritizing making these moments. More than anything, I am praying that I am leaving a legacy with my children that time together, making memories are the most cherished and important things well beyond anything monetary.
angelaschmeling 
One response to “Like a Vapor”
“being strategic and prioritizing making the moments”….. very wisely said , cause that’s what it takes : prioritizing and being intentional. Life does go by way way too fast ~~ cherish the moments❣️ Thank you for this convicting and timely article
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