Changing Seasons
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Fall is my absolute favorite time of year. I love the cooler weather and the beautiful colors. I love seeing that my God loved us enough to paint a beautiful canvas of vibrant colors for us to enjoy. I don’t like winter at all. I don’t enjoy cold weather or having to bundle everyone up just to step outside. Hot cocoa might be a redeeming quality…if I didn’t enjoy my sweet iced tea so much.
Our seasons in life are like that, too. Some are more enjoyable than others. Whatever they are, though, it helps to remember that they are only seasons and will soon pass. The good ones, we should hug closely and enjoy. The not-so-good ones we can endure, knowing that they, too, will soon pass.
Having children in the home means passing through many seasons. While I was never too fond of the tiny baby season, with the late nights, the interrupted sleep and and the many needs of an infant, I do miss cuddling a sleeping little one and breathing deeply of that sweet, baby smell. I still remember one of the last times Josh asked me to rock him and sing to him. He was probably around seven and with him always being big for his age and me being, well, just big, it was a tight fit in that rocking chair.
But, oh, how I cherished those few moments. I sang all the lullabies I could remember because I knew it was highly likely that it would be the last request from my growing boy for rocking and singing lullabies.
Megan went through a season, not too long ago, of coming to our bed nearly every morning when Brian got up to go to work. It was like she trained herself to wake up at just the right time to hit Dad up for a drink before he left, then, climb into his spot while it was still warm. That season was over way too soon. I loved waking up in the mornings, seeing her beautiful, sleeping face. There’s nothing sweeter than a child sleeping, especially when you haven’t had to endure being kicked by said child all night in order to wake up to that sweet face. 😉
Brianna has recently left a very long-running season in her life during which she would come and ask Brian — always Brian — every night to come tuck her in. And, unless he was just to the point of complete exhaustion, he would always go because he knew it would be all too soon when he would miss the blessing of tucking in his oldest baby each night.
Josh is currently going through a season in which he wants to sleep in our room every night. He gladly sleeps on the floor, if he can just be in the room with us. If we tell him no, he usually tosses out the counter offer of sleeping in the girls’ room. He’s mentioned being afraid of a house fire. I’m not sure why or if that’s even the reason every night. I do know that he needs to be near someone, not alone in his room, in order to feel secure.
After a few nights of this, I told him that it wasn’t fair for him to sleep with us every night. Then, it occurred to me that the girls weren’t asking to sleep with us or complaining that he was. It was also then that I realized that this is simply a season for him. For whatever reason, he needs the added security of having someone in the room with him while he sleeps. I know, from experience, that this won’t last forever…and that I should cherish it for the moment. A beautiful, sleeping face is a beautiful, sleeping face regardless of whether it’s on the pillow beside you or on the pillow in the floor beside your bed.
Not only that, but I’ve discovered that if you give kids what they need during these seasons, even when you or they don’t understand the need, they emerge on the other side a little stronger, a little more independent and a little more self-confident. Maybe it’s their growing season and the harvest is a healthier, happier kid.
Whatever it is, I’m going to enjoy it. This isn’t one of the “winter” seasons, with lots of negatives. It’s more like a spring, with a little trust, faith and confidence growing beneath a layer of insecurity, being nurtured by having an underlying need met. It will pass soon enough. And, someday, I’ll miss have a soft-cheeked, handsome, blue-eyed boy who wants and needs simply to be in my presence. There will come a day when his needs may not be met, his insecurities soothed, by so simple an act. And, too soon, I’ll be asking him for just a little more of his time, the gift of his presence.
Yeah, I think I’ll just enjoy this season while it’s here.
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
– Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Kris Bales is a newly-retired homeschool mom and the quirky, Christ-following, painfully honest founder (and former owner) of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. She has a pretty serious addiction to sweet tea and Words with Friends. Kris and her husband of over 30 years are parents to three amazing homeschool grads. They share their home with three dogs, two cats, a ball python, a bearded dragon, and seven birds.
wow, That post really hits home with me. I have 3 little ones right now and I do realize the need to stop and be in the moment. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. I really needed this.
I echo your thoughts exactly. Time goes so quickly. My baby isn’t a baby anymore…. and my oldest is fast becoming a lady. *sigh*
Thank you for sharing this post! It really touched me. Kids do grow up way too quickly!
Kris,
What a beautiful post!
Beautiful, beautiful post!