A Flower

For some reason this makes me feel a bit melancholy. Meghan was with me in the native garden Sunday afternoon. We were walking around, looking at some of the cactus flowers, and she pointed and reached for this Desert Marigold. When I handed it to her, the look on her face was of pure joy. After we went into the house, she continued to carry it around with her everywhere, often placing it up to her nose to sniff. After awhile, she tore it apart, bit by bit, and placed all of the bits together. It was still the same beautiful flower it had been, but was now just pieces, easily scattered, but for now still all together.

I guess that is what makes me sad about it all. The kids are all growing up so fast, and before we realize, they will be teenagers, then going off to college. Families of their own will then follow before we even realize it; our children will have their own children and we will look back and wonder where the time went, what did we miss, what could we have done different...or better. We will still be one family, but very easily scattered...much like the pieces of Meghan's flower.

I know, the kids are still little - Meghan is, after all, only sixteen months old - but it's hard to believe Dylan will be six this year. It just goes by too fast.



Anyway. Meghan's flower, and what it made me think about.