The Old-er Mom

I walked up to the school today to pick up Kennedy. She usually walks home with Cameron, but sissy was sick today. As I walked up to the school I saw all these moms standing around. I am guessing they were in their 20's & 30's. They stood around in their little group talking about their day while the kids where at school and how they can't wait until their kids are a little older and they can do this and that by themselves. I just stood their waiting for Kennedy and thinking to myself "are you kidding? They grow up way to fast! They don't stay little long enough."
The door flew open and the kindergarten class flew out along with the two teachers who are both friends and have taught all my older children except for my oldest. I am sure they wonder if this is it.
Kennedy came running to me with a huge smile on her face yelling "mommy!" Whatever worries I may have go away when I see her face. She sees I have her princess umbrella and even though only two drops have fallen she is so excited and opens up her umbrella all the time grinning and talking a mile a minute. She puts her tiny hand in mine and we walk home.
Tonight I thought of those young moms and their conversation. I remember when my boys were younger there were days, that I had those same thoughts of wishing they were a little older and could do more for themselves. True, those thoughts usually came out of exhaustion but they also came from being young, naive and a tad bit selfish.
Being an older mom has made me want time to slow down, actually I want to have some of it back. I want to know then what I know now. That time goes way to fast. We go way to fast. Most of us are over committed and don't realize it until one day your youngest son is getting off a bus after serving in Iraq and your youngest daughter who came into your life at two and half years old is now in kindergarten and so happy that you brought her princess umbrella to her.
Being a mom is a honor no matter how old you are. We should treasure every cry, laugh, lost tooth, boo boo, snotty nose, the 1,000 pictures they bring home from school with the glue or paint still wet, staring you awake when your in a dead sleep, every hug, every kiss and every I love you. God has blessed my life in so many ways but the greatest blessing is being a "momma." They give me hope for the future, Faith that I can get up every day and be the best mom I can be and they make my heart feel a love that is beyond anything I could have ever imagined. I am the older mom but my six blessings keep my heart young!

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13