It won't always be like this...

I must learn to enjoy each and every moment. It won't always be like this. I won't always have a little boy who holds my hand without so much as thinking about it. I won't always have to buckle him in and wipe his face, fix his shoes and check his teeth. He won't always want to share what happened in his day. He won't always eat dinner with me. Just the two of us, on my little green table that used to be red until I hit the spray paint to it. Him on the end, me near the fridge so I can easily refill his milk.

There will be a time when he's too busy, or too cool to be with me. He won't hug without a struggle. He won't want to kiss me three times and shout "I Love You" in front of all of his friends. Someday I'll be pushed away. So right now I have to learn to enjoy each and every moment.

My elderly neighbor is visited weekly by his two daughters. One takes him out to eat and the other dotes on him like a mother. It seems to sometimes bother him that they are so worried about him - how they seem to treat him like a frail old man, instead of the strong father he once was. They are making sure he has taken a shower and washed his clothes. He is the one returning with leftovers and clean laundry from them. They ask him to flash the light so they know they can drive away. I'm sure he used to ask them to do the same.

Life changes and people grow, people age and roles reverse. So for now, while I can - I'll be the Mom..I'll be the one making the rules, enforcing bedtimes and reading the books. Someday I'll be an old lady and my son will take care of me. I can't imagine such a thing, but I do know that I'll be in good hands...and that he's definately paying for dinner.