In mid-June the countryside was covered with the bright orange blooms of daylilies. Ditches and areas that normally are full of weeds became a sight of beauty thanks to these flowers.
One day, when I walked out to get the mail, I stopped and picked a few lilies that were growing near our mailbox. I put the flowers in a vase on our table when I got inside.
At supper that night Janna asked what kind of flowers they were. I told her that they were called daylilies and that each flower would only bloom for one day, which is how they got their name.
Joseph, who was also listening to my explanation said, “That is sad. They are too pretty to only last one day.”
I showed him how each stem had multiple flowers on it that would open at different times so we could enjoy them longer. This seemed to satisfy him, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about his observation of the fleeting beauty of those daylilies.
Lately, it seems like time is marching at a pace that I can’t keep up with. My oldest just turned 16 and my “baby” is 4 years old.
In the blink of an eye I have gone from changing diapers and nursing babies to living in a house full of young people who can do many things for themselves, one of whom is getting ever closer to adulthood.
While there were times through the years when I could never imagine being at this point, I do remember sometimes thinking that life would be easier when…
…the baby sleeps through the night.
…the toddler quits throwing fits.
…the preschooler is potty trained.
While life is easier now than when I had lots of littles, I am thankful for every one of those hard days.
Those times when I was awakened by a hungry baby at 2:00 a.m when all I really wanted to do was sleep were actually gifts because those tiny babies have grown into big people who don’t need quite as much snuggling.
Those times when a toddler would throw a fit helped me to rely even more on God to see me through this parenting journey.
Those little ones who I thought might be in diapers when they graduated from high school have all learned to use the potty and can do so much more than I ever imagined.
I sometimes feel like the little moments, even the hard ones, are like those daylilies I picked back in June.
They are beautiful but fleeting.
I don’t want to miss the beauty right in front of me because I was too busy to notice it or too focused on getting to the next step.
Each day is a gift from God. We have a choice as to how we will see it, as something to get through or as the beautiful gift that it is.
Let us rejoice and be thankful for the beauty in each day.
Psalm 118:24 (ESV) This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
