Honestly strangers enjoying my adorable baby doesn't bother me at all, but one thing that does make me uncomfortable is when I get the impression that people I see more regularly love or appreciate my child because of the developmental stage she is in and not because of who she is as a person. If you're a parent of a little one you probably know what I mean - there are always people who are so charmed and interested in your child because they "just love babies", and yet you wonder if in 5 or 10 years these people will have the same level of interest in your children's lives.
There seems to be this implied understanding among parents and grandparents that early childhood is somehow more precious than later childhood, adolescence, or even adulthood. I don't think anyone necessarily believes this, but we act like it is true all the time! Those parents whose children are grown always say, "Cherish these years-they go by so fast!" And they are right. These years are wonderful, and they do go by fast. But sometimes I wonder why parents don't as often encourage each other to treasure the elementary years or the teenage years, or those precious years that follow where you witness your children becoming adults and making their way in the world. After all, it is a privilege and a gift to enjoy your child's babyhood and toddler years. Those years are precious and they are foundational. But our children don't even remember those years. The years they do remember come later. As a parent, I want to make sure that my children feel cherished and treasured in those precious years that they do remember too.
These days our little girl is learning and growing so much! Every time she masters a new skill, says a new word, or shows us that she understands things I feel so much pride! These years are so precious because we get to witness and be a part of our daughter growing up bit by bit every day. We get to know her better and better and get to delight in who she is. Whenever I am tempted to feel sad that she is growing up so fast I remember that she will always be a part of our lives. We get to spend not just the next 3, 13, or 18 years enjoying her, but we get to spend the rest of our lives getting to know her better and delighting in who she is. The things we love in her as a toddler aren't going anywhere! And she doesn't just need to be loved and cherished now, she needs it in the coming years as well.
I refuse to think of my children growing up as "losing" them. After all, they were never mine in that way anyway. Our children are entrusted to us by God, so that we may care for them and teach them about Christ. Our vocation as parents grows and changes as our children grow and change, but parenthood is a treasure and a profound privilege at every stage of our child's life - from birth to adulthood and beyond.
I will cherish every precious moment with my daughter, but not just because she is an adorable 16-month-old (although she is adorable!). I cherish the moments with her because she is a delightful person whom I love very much and all my time with her is precious. As I look forward to her growing over the next few decades, I am so excited to find out what it looks like to cherish her in the future as well.
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