one of those days

YOU ALL KNOW THIS STORY. iT'S PRETTY MUCH LIKE YOUR OWN DAY TO DAY LIFE. THE KIND OF DAYS THAT YOU WISHED YOU WOULD HAVE STAYED IN BED. DREAMLAND IS MUCH BETTER ENTERTAINMENT THAN THE CHAOTIC MESS WE GO THROUGH SOME DAYS. IMAGINE SUCH A DAY AS I PAINT A PICTURE IN YOUR MIND.
YOU WALK IN THE DOOR FROM A HECTIC DAY AT WORK. DOG JUMPS ALL OVER YOU, GETTING MUD ON YOUR WORK CLOTHES. SPOUSE CHASTIZES YOU FOR NOT CALLING TO SAY YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE. CHILDREN CROWD YOU FIGHTING FOR THEIR OWN SPACE AND ATTENTION FROM YOU. YOUR DINNER IS IN THE MICROWAVE AND NEEDS HEATED. DOG NEEDS TO GO OUT. THIS IS ALL BEFORE YOU CAN KICK OFF YOUR SHOES.
AS YOU SIT DOWN TO RELAX, YOU RELIZE IT'S YOUR TURN TO BATH THE KIDS AND TO SUPERVISE HOMEWORK TIME. THERE ARE DISHES IN THE SINK CALLING YOUR NAME. LAUNDRY NEEDS FOLDED AND PUT AWAY.YOUR YOUNGEST DAUGHTER SPILLS HER MILK ON THE FLOOR. YOUR 5 YEAR OLD SON DECIDES TO DRAW YOU A PICTURE ON HIS BEDROOM WALL WITH PERMANENTMARKER. YOUR OLDEST SON DECIDES TO CUT HIS OWN HAIR INTO A MOHAWK AND DYES IT PURPLE. WHILE YOU ARE STILL IN SHOCK, HE INFORMS YOU HE NEEDS A NEW BIKE.
AFTER THE SHOCK WEARS OFF, YOU LOOK AT THE CLOCK. IT'S TIME TO TUCK THE YOUNG ONES IN BED AND TELL THEM A BED TIME STORY. AS YOU SHUT THE LIGHT OFF AND TURN TO LEAVE YOU HEAR, "I LOVE YOU. YOU REPLY, "I LOVE YOU TOO." A BIG SMILE FORMS ON YOUR FACE AND MELTS YOUR HEART. THE DAY STARTS TO MELT AWAY. SOMEHOW THE DAY SEEMS ALL WORTHWHILE NOW. DREARINESS IS REPLACED WITH GRATITUDE.
HANG ONTO THIS MOMENT! LIVE BY IT. DON'T FORGET THE LITTLE HANDS AND ARMS THAT HUG YOU. RECORD IN YOUR MEMORY ALL THE "I LOVE YOU'S". FRAME THE DRAWN STICK FIGURES ON CONSTRUCTION PAPER. APPRECIATE THE ARTWORK ON THE WALLS AND DIRTY HANDPRINTS ON THE REFRIGERATOR, FOR SOME DAY SOON YOU'LL BE LOOKING INTO FACES OF GROWN MEN AND WOMEN THAT YOU ONCE CRADLED IN YOUR ARMS. THEY GROW SO VERY FAST!
I FACE THIS NOW IN MY OWN LIFE AS I LOOK INTO MY OWN SON'S EYES. I NO LONGER SEE A BABY BUT A YOUNG MAN FACING COLLEGE YEARS AND A LIFE OF HIS OWN. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS LIFE, I AM NO LONGER THE CENTER OF IT. THERE'S A PART OF ME THAT IS CLINGING TO HIM FOR DEAR LIFE. THE SENSIBLE ME LET'S GO AND PRAYS I'VE DONE A GOOD JOB OF PREPARING HIM FOR WHAT LIES AHEAD.
I'M SADDENED BY THE TIME GONE BY THAT I CAN'T CHANGE. I WANT TO GO BACK AND HOLD HIM ONE MORE TIME AS MY BABY. WHY DOES IT SEEM THEY GO FROM BEING A BABY TO GROWN ADULTS? I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ONE OF THESE CHAOTIC DAYS MENTIONED. I WOULD LOVE FOR THE CHANCE TO GO BACK IN TIME TO EXPERIENCE IT ONE MORE TIME IF IT WERE POSSIBLE. IT'S NOT. I CANNOT DWELL HERE. LIFE GOES ON. I WILL CHERISH HIS CHILDHOOD IN MY MEMORY.
THEN THE CHEERFUL THOUGHT OCCURS TO ME. MAYBE SOMEDAY I'LL BE ABLE TO HOLD HIS CHILDREN AND CREATE ALL NEW MEMORIES WITH THEM. CHILDREN ARE OUR GREATEST GIFTS. TREASURE AND HOLD TRUE TO ALL THEIR MOMENTS FOR THEY ONLY HAPPEN ONCE IN A LIFETIME.