Laundry is a Fact of Life for Moms

• Kristi
• October 1, 2019
• Inspiration, Life, Life Lessons, Motherhood, Parenting
• 1

Kristi is a wife and mom of 3 who writes for JugglingNormal and Medium. This article first appeared here, and is republished in whole.

A short story about how fast life moves.

When our dog was a puppy, she followed me around the house like a little duck. When I would do laundry, she would wait for me to open the dryer door and stick her head in and root around for the dryer sheet. Then she would take off around the house in a mad tear, and I’d chase her. We loved that game.

I had forgotten all about it, but then…

When our son was a toddler, he followed me around the house like a little duck. When I would do laundry, he would wait for me to open the dryer door and reach in and feel around for the dryer balls. Then he would run down the hall and attempt to hide the balls in his room before I caught and tickled him. We loved that game.

I live for full circle moments like that.

I was thinking about it because it popped up on Facebook memories. But here’s the thing — I can remember the joy of those moments, and I can remember the swell of my heart, but I can’t remember the details.

My puppy is nearly 11, and my toddler is almost seven, and so much life has happened since then. It’s all a blur.

When you’re a mom, you commit to noting every moment and preserving the memories forever, but inevitably they all blend in a feeling.

So a word of caution to the other mamas: Allow yourself a couple more heartbeats to really feel each moment. It’s so fleeting, and there is so much magic, it’s just not possible to hold it all. It’s an overflow of the best life has to offer, so savor it while it unfolds. It’s the only way to retain it forever.

And then when you recall it, you won’t feel bittersweet longing, you’ll feel gratitude, for all the early memories and every moment since, and the feeling of your motherhood will be a blend of joy, contentment, love, and so much more.