When you first become a parent, everyone talks about the challenges – the endless nights with a baby who just won't sleep, the never-ending struggles of convincing a toddler to stay in their bed, the shockingly high cost of childcare, and the occasional sports-related injuries that keep you on edge.

You find yourself taking time off work to pick them up from school when they're under the weather, helping them with their homework, trying to maintain some semblance of order in a perpetually messy house, and facing the never-ending mountain of laundry. And let's not forget the constant expense of buying school clothes and packing those daily lunches.

But in the midst of all this chaos, there are those precious moments when you see the sheer delight in your children's eyes on Christmas morning, and you do your best to savor the magic.

You become their coach, shuttling them to practices and games, even if it means crisscrossing the country to support their love for the game – no matter how exhausting or expensive it becomes.

Life becomes a whirlwind, and it's rare to stop and ponder what the future holds. It's something you can't quite fathom when you first start this journey.

You enter parenthood thinking that 18-20 years is a substantial amount of time. But then, in the blink of an eye, hours turn into days, days into months, and months into years.

That little child who used to snuggle up in your bed to watch cartoons is suddenly a young adult who offers a quick hallway hug before heading out.

The noise and laughter that once filled your home are gradually replaced by silence and solitude.

You've mastered the art of parenting a child who needs your guidance and protection, but the idea of "letting go" remains a perplexing enigma.

So, you hold on as tightly as you can, wondering how time slipped through your fingers so swiftly, and feeling guilty for any moments you may have missed.

Despite having two decades, it never feels like enough time.

Questions flood your mind:

Did you teach them the right lessons? Did you read them enough books when they were small? Did you spend enough time playing with them? How many school events did you regretfully miss? Do they truly understand how much you love them? What could you have done differently as a parent?

When it's time for them to leave, it hits you like a ton of bricks, and all you can do is pray, hope, and trust that they will find their way in the world.

Parenting is undoubtedly the most incredible experience, with moments that leave you exhilarated and others that break your heart. But one thing remains certain: it's never enough time.

So, to all the parents with young children navigating the daily madness, exhausted as you may be, soak it all in. Because one day, those wild and crazy days filled with cartoons, snuggles, sleepovers, the magic of Christmas mornings, ballgames, practices, and late-night dinners all come to an end.

And you'll be left hoping that you did enough right so that when they spread their wings, they'll fly.💕 ~RS

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