Just Like Heaven: March 2012

Typical of March in northern New England, it came in like a lion, settled and teased like a tropical toucan, and now it appears, roaring out also like a lion. The past couple weeks have shown us a hint of what we look forward to most in Maine…80 degrees, balmy evenings, and the sky filled with endless shining stars. Only without the bugs. We dug out our short sleeves, dressed G in his summer rompers, and inhaled the summery air as if it was fleeting. And so it was. What a fickle lady this long month of March can be.

Recently, in one of the countless ‘parenting’ emails I get on a near daily basis, I read a surprising unknown stat---unknown only because I hadn’t bothered to actually do the math on this one. Are you ready? From the time your child is born until they leave the nest at 18, there are only 940 Saturdays. What?? Only 940 Saturdays to trudge through the snow, burrow in the leaves, create sandcastles, hike the trails, toss balls to the dog, splash in puddles, skip rocks, catch fireflies, make s’mores, visit friends, pick apples, float in an inner-tube, go for a wagon ride, find the perfect pumpkin, camp in a tent, swing at the playground, enjoy a gelato, kick a soccer ball, nap in the shade. Only 940. The point of the article was to remind and encourage to treasure every moment with your child because, as the cliché goes, time really does fly by, and before we know it, they are 18, driving away to college, and leaving behind only the memories.

As we approach your second birthday, sweet G, I’m panicking that we’ve already used up your first 100. Did we make the most of them? Nothing I can do about it now, but taking a look back of the last few weekends, I’d say we’re doing a pretty good job.