Working in the entertainment industry, I see a lot of interesting things that are difficult to describe to my friends and family. This is one of those experiences… Recently, while attending a work conference, I observed some Tibetan Monks creating a beautiful piece of intricately detailed sand art. I have seen them at work conferences for years, and I’ve always thought “DON’T SNEEZE.” 
These art pieces take hours to create and can be destroyed with one bump of the table. I get anxiety just thinking about it. This time, however, I asked them “Don’t you get nervous that it’s going to get bumped?” Their agent calmly replied “No. That’s the point. This is just a small one. They create art pieces that are seven feet in diameter, using teams of monks that work on it for days, and then when they are finished they dump it – they blow it all away.” I gasped. She continued, “That’s the point: Impermanence. It reminds us that whatever feelings we have, whatever state of being we are in, everything is temporary.”
Mic drop.
Mind.
Blown.
Because it’s so true. Everything is temporary. Especially when it comes to being a mom.
I remember watching all my friends get pregnant while waiting to conceive. I remember every negative pregnancy test. I remember how long my pregnancies felt. I counted the weeks one by one, waiting impatiently for the little wonders to arrive. But suddenly it’s over, and I miss their little kicks inside my belly. Because waiting, and pregnancy, is temporary.
I remember those first couple of days with my newborn(s), trying to figure it all out, while simultaneously trying to cherish their tiny little fingers and toes. Overtired, but completely enamored. Some days I felt like I was doing it all wrong, and how was I going to be able to do it all? (Wait a minute… I still feel like that every day). But then suddenly, we got through it. We were on to the next phase – an entire new set of joys and challenges. I remember the first time each of them slept through the night and how excited we were. I quickly forgot about those long nights of midnight feedings, rocking someone to sleep, soothing their tears away.
Because, for better or worse, that tiny baby phase is only temporary.
Someday my daughters won’t pronounce “spoon” as “foon” anymore. Someday they might not want to sing loudly for an hour. Someday my son will be running through the house on his way to wrestling practice (yes, my husband made me choose that specific sport) rather than trying to play in the toilet. Every single day they are learning new things and developing their own personalities. Some days their energy makes me want to hide in the bathroom because caring for three toddlers can seem impossible. But seconds later, they say something so hilarious that I want them to stay this age forever. When my phone shows me videos from “one year ago today…” I am amazed at how quickly life has changed. Daily, I am reminded – everything is temporary.
This may be the hardest time in our lives thus far, but it is simultaneously the happiest time in our lives. Every week, we say “this is my favorite age.” At the same time, we say “I can’t wait until they’re a little bit older so we can _(fill in the blank)_.” Parenting is challenging, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Some days are overwhelming, but I promise you will get through them. 
The beautiful moments are too short. Hold on to them forever. We want to keep those moments of uncontrollable happiness in a jar so we can open the lid and take a breath whenever we need to.
If you’re having a hard day, or a rough week, or a terrible year for that matter, just remember that tomorrow might not be as hard. If you’re having a great day –
Enjoy.
Every.
Second.
Because everything is temporary.
