I was pretty young when I got married. I had just turned 20. When I had my first baby almost exactly one year later (her due date was on our anniversary) I still didn't feel old because, I reasoned, I was pretty young for being a mom. In fact, this was my reasoning through many of the big milestones in her life that would have made me realize that I was getting older. (My little girl is starting nursery...I'm still pretty young for having a child in nursery, my little girl is starting school....I'm still pretty young for having a child in school, etc.) It was nice to feel young despite the evidences around me that I was getting older.
I thought that I might feel sort of old when I turned 30, but I didn't. I think I had met enough 30 year olds by then that 30 still seemed young to me.
When I started noticing more and more gray hairs on my head - I blamed it on the fact that my mom's side of the family gets gray hair early - so normally, I wouldn't be getting gray hair at my age.
The first time someone asked me, "How many kids do you have?" and I answered "Five", I felt old for a minute, but I reasoned it away quickly - remembering that I was still pretty young for having 5 kids (nevermind that I had several friends who were younger than me who had 5 kids).
This week, however, I had a dose of reality when I was sewing cub scout badges onto a cub scout uniform. I hadn't really thought about it when we went to the scout store to buy the supplies, nor when we went to the Blue and Gold Banquet a few days after his birthday. For some reason, reality didn't hit until I started sewing the little numbers on the uniform sleeve.
I had a flashback of when I was asked to be a den mother about 8 years ago to the Wolf and Bear scouts in our neighborhood in St. George. At the time, I thought it was strange that I would be asked to be a den mother when my little boy was just a baby. He wouldn't be a scout for ages! I wasn't good friends with any of my scout's moms because they were all older women who were busy with older women activities (their older children).
Suddenly, I realized that I had become one of those older women!
It was sort of a shock. I shed a few tears about how fast time has flown by (and because I kept pricking my fingers with my needle - sewing isn't one of my strengths). I couldn't believe how fast my little boy has grown up. Nor could I believe how fast I had grown up. The sad thing is that time just kind of keeps going by faster these days, and I don't see any chance of it slowing down.
I made a resolution, again, to enjoy and make the most of each passing day. They go by much to quickly.
My little boy - running off to scouts:
Preach on, Karen. I had an "old" moment today too. My "baby" is turning ELEVEN tomorrow! It hit me when she was asking me for help to organize her party. She's not a little, little kid anymore.
ReplyDeletePlus, my oldest is talking about what she's planning to take in high school ... NEXT YEAR!
Ugh.
You're absolutely right about being sure to enjoy the time that we have. Time really does scream by.
I love being "old". Hello! Free babysitting!! I don't know how I survived those years when my children were little. I'll take older and wiser any day. The wrinkles I could do without but of course you're not quite there yet.
ReplyDeleteIt is definately depressing to think how fast life passes by! Rylee turns 10 in 2 weeks and I am wondering where all the time went!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your post. I've been feeling old. And it does not help to think about free babysitting because I do not have any. My oldest is six and a half, however as I was 30 when he was born instead of 20 the only thing his age does for me is possibly create a deceptive impression that I'm younger than I really am. Juxtaposed against my wrinkles and graying hair, I don't think I'm fooling anyone.
ReplyDeleteI have gone through this exact same process! I used to feel like such a young mom, and now I'm turning 30 this year and all of a sudden I look around the ward and there are all these young newly marrieds with 1 or 2 kids, and I'm one of the old ladies.
ReplyDeleteToo bad I don't get more responsible with age - I still haven't gotten all of Tristan's scout stuff, and he's nine now. I love the picture of William running off to scouts (oh, to live in Utah, where that's possible!)
For me, it was when my anniversaries hit double digits. I remember old married couples who had been married 10 or 11 years. Now I am one.
ReplyDeleteCompared to you and Lazy I guess I'm still young because I don't have babysitters yet and my kids are still in the tough early years. =)
It sounds like you got married in 1999 like me. Did I do the math right?
Oh, funny story on being a young mom. When I was a newlywed, we had a young couple in our ward with a brand new baby on Mother's Day. The Bishopric had all the moms stand for various things - oldest, youngest, most kids, etc. This young mom was the youngest.
ReplyDeleteThe next year they did it again and she was still the youngest.
Same thing the 3rd year. I think if she was still the youngest the 4th year she would have boycotted church that day. She was so tired to the designation. But maybe she'd go back because by your definition, she is now old!
Close with the math - we were married at the end of 1998. Funny young mom story - I bet she doesn't mind it much now :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm with Cherie, first child at thirty creating the illusion of youth, ;-). Maybe it's the name.
ReplyDeleteI've been using a machine to sew on the scout badges, much easier on my fingers.
O.k., now I have proof that I'm old. I just commented on my comment which I'd forgotten I'd made.
ReplyDeleteOh my!
Ha ha Cherie! That is too funny! It's been over a year so don't feel too bad!
ReplyDelete