Time moves slowly when you want something.

Then, all of a sudden, it moves fast. Too fast.

If you're a parent, you know this all too well.

That old photo of your child comes across your phone and reminds you just how fast those two years have gone.

There are more teeth and more hair (probably less for you). You've experienced two more birthdays. Two more Halloween costumes. Two more Christmas mornings. And countless laughs, giggles, and moments that happen so fast you wish you could freeze them in time.

They also started using the bathroom on their own, being able to put their clothes on without your help, and have become pretty opinionated on what they will and won't eat.

But, of course, there are also those moments you want to fast forward through: The all-nighters with the stomach bug, the weeks you had to rearrange your schedule because there was a virus going around, and the six weeks in a body cast that tested the sanity of you and everyone in the home.

While we know life is short and we shouldn't wish time away…we are human, after all. And sometimes we just want to get through to the other side and on with better times, or at least easier times.

So we rush through bedtime for a little extra alone time after a long day. We allow a little more screen time than usual because it's been a hell of a week.

Again, we are human, just doing the best we can.

Work. Errands. To-do lists.

The tension increases quickly and relentlessly.

And so goes the time, quickly and ruthlessly.

But, perhaps, it's worth remembering that great line from the grown-up Kevin Arnold on The Wonder Years:

And so do the memories of being a parent.

Raising children to go out in the world successfully and someday do this adult thing on their own. All the while attempting to enjoy, embrace, and savor as much of it as possible.

It's a balance, for sure.

Because 'it goes fast,' as they say.

And 'they' ain't wrong.

One minute, you think you'll never get an uninterrupted night of sleep again. But before you know it, they'll want to spend their nights elsewhere. Without you and never mind your worries.

Even When It’s Hard

On January 4th, my daughter underwent a procedure to fix a dislocated hip. It required six weeks in a full-body cast.

Six weeks of new sleep arrangements, inconsistent schedules, crankiness (mostly from this father), worry about the outcome, worry about watching your child not having any fun, and a lot of time just sitting around.

It was tough. A few days were brutal.

Ten months later, we must ask her 1,000 times each night at dinner to sit down because she can't stop moving.

Since that painfully brutal start to our year, we have:

• Learn to walk again.

• Got stitches from falling head-first on the pavement from, of course, running with uncontrolled excitement.

• We have been to the mountains, beach, zoo, and countless other activities where a kid gets to be a kid.

• Started pre-K.

All the while, she's jumping off couches, going down slides, building living room obstacle courses, and swimming like a little fish.

Yep, it goes fast. Way too fast.

Sometimes, with little children, it feels like you can live a few years all in one.

So, as I sat there one night, after a long day on the beach and the pool, in the heat, with a 4-year-old with endless energy and rarely a moment of silence, less than six months from those brutal days in January, it hit me like a ton of bricks…

These are my 'good ole days.'

The Time Is Now

You know, the days your grandpa talked about. When times were simpler. Less stuff, fewer choices, and at least theoretically less stress.

Maybe times aren't simpler. There are certainly not fewer choices or less stress.

But there's something going on in life as a parent that I can't help but wonder if you long for decades from now.

That frenetic energy that seems to be moving between work and raising a child, while stressful, also brings parts of you alive more than ever before.

And there's this sense that when it slows down, it will be like getting off the most extraordinary thrill ride of your lifetime. And your turn, as you know it today, will be over, just like that.

You'll look back with fondness, even for the struggle. You'll look back wishing you could have some more of it, just for a moment. The simple laughs and countless moments that amaze you.

Enjoying this little person that makes you smile by just being their perfect little self.

That's why I genuinely believe that if you have your health, a spouse you love, and a healthy child, you are most certainly living your 'good ole days.'

Double down on it. No, triple-down it.

Enjoy it. Savor it. Embrace it. Live it.

But, whatever you do, don't miss it.

Because the last thing you want to have to say someday is those lines from Macklemore's Good Ole Days:

Don't be shortsighted. Don't miss what's right in front of you. Don't take for granted what you have right now—what you are guaranteed not to have forever.

Walking around the pumpkin patch for 3 hours on a Saturday might not be #1 or on your fun list, especially if you compare it to watching football. Or, spending a week roaming (and purchasing) your way through Disneyworld might not be 'your' idea of fun.

But do you really want to miss the looks on their face when they come down that 50-foot slide or see their favorite princess for the first time?

And as a dude, princesses, dress-ups, and dolls aren't your thing. But nobody is questioning your toughness because you get down on the floor and play in her world.

After all, how many years and chances will you get to do this?

Soon enough, you'll be chasing boys away, staying up to make sure she made it home, and longing for a movie night, even if it's watching Frozen for the 322nd time.

It's the simple things you'll miss.

It's the simple things you'll regret.

Ever Again

They'll never be whatever age they are today ever again. You'll never have the moment you could be present with today…ever again.

And these two truths stay true forever.

The older I get, the more I realize that the skill of being able to be present in the moment—not just physically—to appreciate this tiny moment in time is the greatest skill any parent could develop.

Sure, the pictures are great and should be treasured forever.

But, for me, nothing will ever be quite as beautiful as the actual moment. Those few seconds, those rare instances, tiny gems in time when you felt the whole scene and all its treasure.

Remember this the next time you're losing sleep over where you aren't in life, your career, or your finances. Remember this the next time you start daydreaming about the meaningless possession you want someday off in the distance or when you allow the stress of the day to keep your mind from what's right in front of you.

Remember: these are your 'good ole days.'

There's nothing wrong with drive, ambition, and setting big goals. And none of us are immune to those days that leave us ragged and ready to tap out for the day.

But…

Remind yourself often what you work hard for, why you want to provide, and most importantly, who you want to enjoy this all with.

Be wary the next time you 'can't wait' for something that's six months away.

Vision and planning are critical.

Just don't skip the good stuff along the way.

Because if you aren't careful, you'll miss something you can't get back.

And it's just not worth the trouble.

Thanks for reading! Share when someone you think would find it helpful!