I watch my precious kids grow up before my eyes. Each 24 hour period passes almost as quickly as it arrives. I try to balance all of life’s details, while still prioritizing my kids. Despite the slew of stuff that bombards each day, I want to stop and breath in the moments that make each day special. I want to appreciate my kids and savor the moments that I don’t want to pass by. Hopefully if I pause long enough I can create a memory that can’t be taken from me. So as I hear the laughter bubbling through my house, and the joy that kids bring, I want to put aside my tiredness, my work, my distractions and remember how fleeting these moments are. I want to soak in just one more memory.

In the famous scene at the end of Schindler’s List, Oskar Schindler looks at his remaining possessions and helplessly reflects on lost opportunities. His anguish is palpable as this strong man’s heart begins to break. He didn’t boast about the hundreds that were spared in his factory, but mourned for those that didn’t get to see the light of another day.

We have goals and hopes that drive us. We know there will be sacrifices and dedication, yet sometimes our goals fall flat on their face before we can even get out of the starting gate. We compare ourselves to others. But God’s not comparing us to that person, so why are we?

As parents we need to be at the front lines for our children as their number one advocate and protector. Taking the first blows as situations come charging at our kids, whether it be filtering what they hear, protecting their steps, or nurturing their heart we need to invest in our kids with passion and conviction, teaching them what true love is and learning it ourselves. There are few days that go by that some foreign food substance hasn’t lodged itself on my shirt, or that the coffee pot has run dry way too early; yet, we need to plow forward. Not because it’s easy, but because we love our kids, and we are going to be held accountable for how we parented them.

As swift as the day comes, so it leaves. Life is swirling by faster than we would like to give it credit for, as our clocks and calendars remind us of our routine oriented lives.