I look at my oldest son and see the face of a soon to be man. He stands taller than me now, as his face begins to mature and his voice deepens. Just the other day I heard a recording of his young voice and I am left wondering when his voice changed to sound so much more grown. I have been seeing pictures of my youngest when he was so small and although there is still much youth about him; he too is growing.  Time is fleeting. I never understood it when I was young myself. I get it now. What used to mean old, is set at an older age now and what I used to think grown was, is still very much young. I remember being around my eldest’s’ age and thinking I knew most things. How very wrong I was. I had no idea just how very much I had to learn. Though both my children have so much more growing to do, they have grown so much, in such a short amount of time. It is easy to feel our age when we look at the faces of those, we hold most dear. The maturing of our children, the wrinkles and graying hairs of our parents and the eyes of our grandparents. Often, we think that time stands still and things remain the same. Though time is like a chapter in our book or life. We know when it starts, though not when it ends and we must make the most of every chapter with those we hold the closest to our hearts. I used to believe that my grandparents would stay their age, as though they would just be forever old and their age frozen in time. So, I would have them my whole life. Though as we age, so do our loved ones. I am watching my youngest play right now, as he happily chews his bubblegum. I stop and soak it in. For before I know it, he too, will start to look like a man and I want to enjoy his youthfulness. Life has a way of distracting us from the fleetingness of time. God is kind in His blessings of those we have to love. May we prioritize those we love. For every chapter is special in its own way and we must live it fully. To soak up every moment as the blessing it is. Someday I do look forward to the chapter of my boys’ becoming men, but I want to know as I enjoyed all those times, that I did not miss all the moments, that led to that point. That as I watch my parents slowly age, that I enjoy them in this season and as they are right now. That the grandparent figures in my life, I enjoy their company and learn from their wisdom. Loved ones are blessings, may we be present and enjoy them in all the chapters. So, we know that in our story of life, we loved well, and how blessed we were by God, to have been given such a gift.

Erin Fitts-Brower

John 13:34 NIV

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Psalms 39:4 NIV

“Show me, LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.