One More Time

"One more time?"  she says as she hold up her chubby index fingers.  From the minute we arrive at the playground lately, I hear, "One more slide?" or, "One more swing?" or, "One more climb?"  I don't really know where Stella got the phrase, but it makes me think about how, at two years old, she already knows fun has a time limit.

I try to tell her we can slide or swing or climb to her heart's content.  It's a heavy feeling, but Stella's "one more time" sentiments seem to be mirroring how I've often felt about motherhood.  Even when I try my hardest to stay positive and "in the moment" with my daughter, I am acutely aware of how quickly time is passing.  She's almost too big to be held like a baby, she's outgrowing clothing and shoes left and right, her vocabulary is exploding and she changes in tangible ways a bit every day.  I have found myself asking God the same question since Stella was born - "one more time, God?"  One more baby bath in the sink, one more breastfeeding session, one more bottle, one more first step...

God give me strength and focus to live in today.  You have given me an incredible gift, to be the mother of this beautiful child.  Please help us both to realize that you've got great things planned around every corner of this journey - even if it means saying goodbye to some of the previous chapters.