They Grow Up Too Fast

The other day, I caught myself looking at old pictures of my kids.

I smiled.

Then I cried.

I don't think anyone can truly prepare you for how fast children grow up. When they're little, the days seem so long. You're running from one thing to the next—changing diapers, making bottles, cleaning up messes, breaking up arguments, cooking dinner, folding laundry that somehow never ends, and wondering if you'll ever get five minutes to yourself.

Then one day, you realize those days are gone.

The baby who wanted to be carried everywhere is now walking ahead of you.

The little hands that used to reach for yours don't need to anymore.

The house is still full, but somehow it's getting quieter.

I'm a mom to six amazing kids, and if there's one thing motherhood has taught me, it's that time doesn't slow down for anyone.

People always say, "Enjoy every moment."

I used to roll my eyes when I heard that because, honestly, some moments were just plain hard. There were days I was exhausted. Days I wanted to hide in the bathroom just to have a few minutes of peace. Days when I questioned if I was doing anything right.

Most of this journey, I've done on my own.

And if you're a parent doing it alone, you know there are nights when everyone else is asleep, but you're still awake worrying. Wondering if your kids are happy. Wondering if you're enough.

Somehow, you get up the next morning and do it all over again.

That's what mothers do.

Looking back now, I wish I had worried less about the messy house and spent more time sitting on the floor playing with them.

I wish I had taken more videos of their little voices instead of just pictures.

I wish I had realized that the phase I couldn't wait to get through would one day be the phase I'd miss the most.

If I had one wish, it wouldn't be for more money or more things.

It would be for one more ordinary day.

One more bedtime story.

One more tiny hand reaching for mine.

One more "Mom, watch this!"

Because those ordinary moments turn out to be the ones you treasure forever.

Our children aren't meant to stay little. They're supposed to grow, become independent, and find their own place in the world. As much as that hurts our hearts, it's also one of the greatest blessings we'll ever witness.

So today, if your child asks you to play, play.

If they want one more hug, give it.

If they climb into your lap, don't rush them away.

Laundry can wait.

The dishes can wait.

These moments can't.

One day you'll pick them up for the last time, and you won't even know it's the last time.

That's the part that breaks my heart.

So I'm learning to slow down, to be present, and to be thankful for every season—even the exhausting ones.

Because before we know it, the toys will be packed away, the bedrooms will be quiet, and all we'll have left are the memories.

And maybe that's why motherhood is so beautiful.

It teaches us that love doesn't stop when our children grow up.

It simply grows with them.

Written by Natalia Alsdorf