Little Ones

I don't know why we do things like we do, but it's interesting how you sometimes wish little ones grow up, so you don't have to worry about certain issues: soiled diapers, dirty hand prints, messy rooms.And then suddenly, that little one is in grade school. A few more years pass, and then they are in that no man's land that people call junior high or middle school. You can't dress them anymore in clothes that are fun and bring so many memories.

It's just the human condition. At least that's what I've come to believe. You do it in your own life. I wished for times like that, and then suddenly years pass, and suddenly you have a house without small footprints that race across floors to new adventures. Music, that you didn't choose to play, doesn't blast from bedrooms. 

So I figure I just sit back and relax. Why would I want time to race forward? 

The only sad part is realizing it took grandchildren for me to realize how to enjoy the present. Ironically, it not only helps me pass the day each day, but it also is a way of dealing with the past. You re-experience moments. 

Sadly, I thought certain things would be different: that I wouldn't tease little ones as much or that I wouldn't find myself going to bed without thinking about the great events of each day. Again, it's that whole human condition. We glide from moment to moment, like some skater on a sheet of ice, who thinks that speed somehow is beautiful.

I like walking slowly now. And there's nothing like the sound of a grandchild giggling, all wild-eyed and squirming. 

Suddenly, I realize why one grandfather enjoyed it so much and why my father enjoyed it too. It's what you do. It's what makes having little ones so much fun.