The alternate title for this piece could have been, “Be Careful What You Wish For” because it’s all about how we shouldn’t ever look forward to a future when we’ll have time for ourselves again once the kids grow up and leave the nest. If we do that we’ll learn the harsh and painful truth that we would give up anything in order to have more time with our children again.

All too soon we’ll discover that we have too much free time that you’d rather spend with your beloved angels. Countless older parents will confirm this reality so consider this a warning whenever you catch yourself daydreaming about that day in the future when you’ll reclaim your life back from those little rugrats. The consensus is that you will always wish you spent more time with them. You’ll also wish you could’ve appreciated all of those magical moments even more than you did.

Trace Atkins says it best in his song “THEN THEY DO”. Here’s the music video that reminds us all to savor every moment while we can. We should never wish for our children to grow up and leave because as the song says, all too soon, they do.

In the early rush of morning,
Trying to get the kids to school:
One’s hanging on my shirt-tail,
Another’s locked up in her room.
And I’m yelling up the stairs:
“Stop worrying ’bout your hair, you look fine.”

Then they’re fightin’ in the backseat,
And I’m playing referee.
Now someone’s gotta go,
The moment that we leave.
And everybody’s late,
I swear that I can’t wait till they grow up.

Then they do, and that’s how it is.
It’s just quiet in the mornin’,
Can’t believe how much you miss,
All they do and all they did.
You want all the dreams they dreamed of to come true:
Then they do.

Now the youngest is starting college,
She’ll be leavin’ in the Fall.
And Brianna’s latest boyfriend,
Called to ask if we could talk.
And I got the impression,
That he’s about to pop the question any day.

I look over at their pictures,
Sittin’ in their frames.
I see them as babies:
I guess that’ll never change.
You pray all their lives,
That someday they will find happiness.

Then they do, and that’s how it is.
It’s just quiet in the mornin’,
Can’t believe how much you miss,
All they do and all they did.
You want all the dreams they dreamed of to come true:
Then they do.

No more Monday PTA’s,
No carpools, or soccer games.
Your work is done.
Now you’ve got time that’s all your own.
You’ve been waitin’ for so long,
For those days to come.

Then they do, and that’s how it is.
It’s just quiet in the mornin’,
Can’t believe how much you miss,
All they do and all they did.
You want all the dreams they dreamed of to come true:
Then they do.

Ah, then they do.