‘When the house is quiet. When the laundry units are empty and there are no crumbs left to clean, no fights to break up. What will it be like?’: Mom urges ‘we get one shot at this, let’s not miss’

“What will it be like when the kids are gone?

Off to college.

On adventures.

With new journey partners.

What will it be like when

the house is quiet,

there are no crumbs to clean,

no fights to break up,

no corrections to be given,

no long-winded story to listen to or twirl to watch for the umpteenth time?

What will it be like when

the laundry units are empty,

the fridge and pantry are rarely raided,

the phone’s barely ringing,

and nobody’s knocking at the door?

What will it be like

when I can shower without hearing phantom cries, whining, or incessant fighting?

When I get to choose the TV show and the songs that play on the radio?

What will it be like when rowdy family road trips turn to trips for two minus a few?

What will it be like when the kids are gone?

It won’t be like this.

It won’t be like now.

And so I’ve got to sop up these precious, never-to-be-had again loud moments with my three precious, never-to-be-this-age-or-this-loud again youngsters, and delight in the purpose and loudly-delivered joy they bring me, without even trying.

You know who is trying, though?

Me.

I’m trying to stay present and mindful of what an incredible blessing it is to be a parent even though it’s also incredibly exhausting.

Mamas…we get one shot at this—let’s not miss.”

This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Nicole Merritt of Jthreenme. You can follow her on Facebook, her website, or podcast. Get her new book, Musings for Mom, here. Submit your own story here. Be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.

Read more from Nicole here:

‘I sat on my couch, white privileged, inside of my comfortable home, and realized the world hasn’t gone mad. The world IS mad.’: Woman explains her anxiety of being quiet, ‘I worry my silence offends you’

‘I don’t want a tribe because tribes have leaders. There I said it.’: Mom explains why she’d rather have ‘damn good friends’ than a ‘tribe’

‘Do your kids know who Greta Thunberg is? Mine don’t, and it’s my fault.’

‘Kids can be so mean. Schools are breeding grounds for cliques. Teach them to be inclusive. Teach them not to judge, not to bully.’: Mom urges other parents to ‘teach your children to be nice’

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