Great Potential

Early this spring I bought and planted two tiny Rose of Sharon plants. We wanted something to grow along the side of our garage and these seemed just right; they adapt nicely to soil and weather, like lots of sun and will grow quite large.

When we received the plants (through mail order) in early spring we were skeptical that these tiny bushes would even survive let alone grow to be at least as tall as me. All spring we've watched them and wondered "will these even make it through the summer? They're so tiny!"

Guess what? This week we noticed a bloom on one of the two tiny plants! You can also see behind that flower there are several buds about to burst. I guess these little plants do show some potential.

So what do these little plants have to do with my big boys? Quite a bit it turns out...

Yesterday during the boys nap I spent some time packing up a few toys they rarely play with. The toys are really for younger kids (6-12 months younger even) and the boys just haven't played with them in several months.

A couple of weeks ago I noticed the much loved hand fat dimples are no longer as deep or visible on Tyler. I love those chubby little hands and it's a little alarming to see them becoming long and slender!

This morning Chase woke up around 7am (which is normal) but seemed quite sleepy still. His brothers were still sleeping so I settled onto the couch with him snuggled up against my chest. A few minutes later his breathing slowed and soft snoring began (he's got a slightly runny nose). I sat there and wondered when the last time was that I was lucky enough to have one of the boys asleep in my arms. It's been a long time! I relished the feeling for about 30 minutes before I transferred him to the couch (where he slept another 30 minutes).

I'm sure you're wondering where I'm going with all of this, but then again a lot of you are parents yourselves and you may already know... These moments were all bittersweet for me. I loved the baby stage. I loved the cuddles, the baby smiles and giggles, working on tummy time, watching to see when they would sit up, crawl and then walk. Watching anxiously for that first sign or listening for a first word.

I then remembered there is great potential in my boys' future. They will still learn new things, which I will be privileged enough to witness. They will learn to write their names, they will learn to say "I love you", they will learn to ride bikes, drive cars (*gasp*), hit a baseball, make a basket on a regular basketball hoop and so much more. I can either mourn the loss of my "babies" and worry about their future or I can look forward to the potential my boys hold, much like the little plants in our yard.