Before You Know It!

I can remember when those well meaning older women God lovingly placed in my life would tell me to "enjoy those boys now because before you know it they will be grown and gone." I would, of course, smile all the while wondering exactly how many days constituted that period of time referred to as 'before you know it'? Certainly more than I could visualize with any hope of light at the end of the tunnel unless that tunnel was actually a mythical, magical transporter that could transform three diaper-clad toddler boys into well-aiming, potty-trained (maybe even vegetable eating?) young men 'before I knew it'!

But alas, I too must admit our elders were right...'before I knew it' is here! It is heard in the voice of my youngest as he asks for a haircut the night before his first day of school - his first day of high school! It is palpable in the anguish a sixteen year old boy feels when his first love decides she needs a break and breaks his heart instead (whatever happened to mommy being his girlfriend?). And I see it written on the face of my firstborn son as he gets up at 5:00 AM this morning for his last year of football two-a-days. Excitement shines brightly from his eyes, still as big and wondrous as when he took his first step. And yet, 'before I knew it' has cast ever so slight a shadow of sadness over his countenance as he walks out the door, keys in one hand and cleats in the other.

His last year of high school? How could that be possible? How will it be possible to remember all the firsts and watch all the lasts?......And someone please tell me, am I totally insane to long for those days of diapers again?