We have
just returned from moving Clayton back home from the University of Kentucky
after completing his freshman year of studies there. The experience
prompted a number of conversations over the last few days from how he did on
his finals, to the poor performance of his beloved Wildcats in basketball
this year, to what was, in my estimation, the most important conversation
of all..."you're not going to live on the eighth floor again next year,
are you?" (This I asked after descending and ascending eight
flights of steps with all the stuff he had accumulated during the
year when every elevator in the building was filled with other parents and
students moving out!) The one recurring conversation, other than
my aching back, was how quickly we all thought this first year had gone.
We reminisced, as if it were yesterday, that we were ascending and descending
those same steps and hugging good-bye last August.
Most
parents live in this rapidly moving time warp where life passes quickly
and children seem to grow in an instant. In the Broadway musical "Fiddler
on the Roof," the main character, Tevye, laments this passing of time as
he contemplates his daughter's marriage with the powerful song “Sunrise,
Sunset.” In the song, his wife Golde bemoans,
“I don’t remember growing older. When did
they?” Writing of the brevity of life in Psalm 39, the
Psalmist says, "Everyone’s life is only a breath. People are like
shadows moving about."
Yes, these
last days have served to remind me of how quickly the days, months, and years
pass by. I suppose one could lament such brevity, but that simply wastes
more of the precious moments that we share. No, the key is to make the
most of every moment, celebrating every milestone, honoring every achievement,
giving thanks to God for every breath...every shadow.
Breathe deeply today and take in all that God has for you.
Yes, time passes quickly. As Tevye sings, "Sunrise, sunset,
swiftly fly the years, one season following another, laden with happiness, and
tears." In everything, give thanks. Amen.
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