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And then one day, it stops

One day, in the future, it will stop.

It’s the lack of warning that gets me. The lack of notice, no countdown, no warning sign that this time – might be your last.

And the hard thing is, you may not know it has happened straight away – until you try to think of the last time you had that moment.

• The calling out in the night.
• Tying the shoelace.
• Cutting the crusts off the sandwich.
• Doing the shirt buttons up.
• Making a school lunch.

It’s the little things. The daily things. The everyday tasks that you are their lifeline – only you are needed to do. You were their centre. You were their go to.

One day – it stops. With no countdown. And no warning.

When our children are young, we are defined by parenthood. At times, it can feel pretty much like our whole purpose. It can be long, it be tiring, it can be lonely. But it won’t be forever.

One day soon – how we define ourselves through parenthood will stop.

As the end of the year comes racing around, the thoughts how this may be your last year in primary school or last week  as a reception student may feature. Or you may be on the countdown to the graduation parties, the last day of school and the last exam.

These milestones we know are coming to an end. So, we cherish them. We take photos. We capture the moments. We make sure we remember them.

For me – for today – it’s the little things I want to remember. In case it’s my last.

It’s the plugging in of the seatbelt, it’s the sleepy midnight walk to the bathroom, it’s picking up the shoes as you walk in the door.

It’s the request to play "I spy" on the way to school, the checking of the clean teeth and the important task of finding the lost sport uniform.

It’s without a doubt, the reach out to hold the hand. When you cross the street, when they have a blood test, or they are in the movies.

If you are lucky enough to witness that last time – relish it. Take it in. Capture it in your mind like you would 100 pictures from a holiday.

As one day, I promise you, with no warning, these little things will stop.

And their pants will stop being worn backwards - and their shoes, will no longer be on the wrong foot.