I have realized, with my fourth child, the significance of milestones. I am not a "cup half-empty" kinda gal, but my husband has made me realize that I do get sad as we pass through certain milestones. I don't know if sadness is even the correct description of my feelings. It is a bit like "cherishing." I have come to cherish certain moments as the kids pass through them. One of those moments for me is missing teeth. The first loose tooth- not such a big deal, the last loose tooth- not such a big deal....my very favorite and most cherished is when the children have the two front teeth gone!!! I love it. I cherish it. I stare at them and stare at them, I make them talk and say very difficult words and sit back and smile! I don't know why but I cannot seem to get enough of it....looking at that adorable space in the front of their smile. They talk a certain way, they eat a certain way and it is simply beautiful to me!
So-- my fourth and last, Sammy, is here and I find I really don't want to see those two new grown up teeth break the gums. It is a sign for me. Once those two teeth come in...well....they are big and grown up and it changes their whole face. Of course, I realize that it is a wonderful new stage but I still want to hold on to the "baby."
God likes me to keep moving forward. I kick and scream at this in my life but growth happens when I keep moving on. I get so comfortable in keeping things the same that I forget about his progress as I grow. I am reminded of this as I look at that beautiful gap in Sammy's mouth. God wants me to not only cherish where He has brought me, but to embrace the growth and the breaking of "new teeth"...silly metaphor I am sure but it encapsulates my spiritual life a bit. It will be a new look for Sammy and as always so is growth in my spiritual life......but I need to embrace it...cherish each stage and milestone, even the new ones that change everything! Every milestone is significant and a sign of moving on...in my kids and my life!
