What I Learned in Carpool Line

Real talk: today I didn’t want my kiddo to get out of the car and walk into class. I sat in car-line and laughed at his jokes, as we got closer and closer to the gate drop-off. He said a few more words and got out of the car, smiling and heading toward the door without looking back.

Something I learned about parenting this year is that every parent has those moments when you pull your hair out, out of frustration. Or you count the hours until bedtime. Or you think about how many times they’ve asked you the same question on repeat, and pray it’ll be the last time, every time.

But more than that… you watch them while they sleep. You wish they could always be that peaceful. You hold them when they cry, when they wake, when they need reassurance — even when they’re twelve and hugging momma/daddy isn’t “cool” anymore.

You sit in carpool line and want to soak up every minute, because time is going too fast, they’re going to come home a little bit older, and you’re going to wonder what you missed.

This is parenting.

But it’s also life.

How often do we focus on what frustrates us, drives us up a wall, or is too loud when we want peace and silence? We spend days exhausted trying to be all things to all people. We reassure and serve others and neglect ourselves. We live in task-based mode all the time. We fight our true nature… which is connecting first before completing our to-do list.

If we just stop…

… and listen to ourselves breathe for a minute, we’d be more peaceful. If we focused on every last word in a conversation with ourselves, because we see ourselves as precious… we’d be more present. If we chose to look each other in the eye, share a little bit of time together by choice… we’d be happier.

Because time is going faster, we’re all getting older…

… and I don’t want to wonder what I missed.