Ten years from now . . .
Remember: If it will have mattered in ten years, it matters now.
Ten years from now, it won’t have mattered whether or not the sink was perfectly scrubbed.
Ten years from now it will have mattered that I stopped scrubbing the sink to listen to a problem they were having in school.
Ten years from now, it won’t have mattered that the plates were chipped or that the cups were not a matched set.
Ten years from now, it will have mattered that we sat down at the table together, said a blessing, and shared stories about what happened that day.
Ten years from now, it won’t have mattered that their books were scattered everywhere.
Ten years from now, it will have mattered that they loved to read and did so in every corner of the house.
Ten years from now, it won’t have mattered if they ran off to school with wrinkled shirts or grass stains on their pants.
Ten years from now, it will have mattered that they were always told, “I love you. Have a great day!” as they dashed out the door – wrinkles, grass stains, and all.
Ten years from now, it won’t have mattered that their beds were made haphazardly; that there were lumps under the covers and pillows left on the floor.
Ten years from now, it will have mattered that I leaned over their rumpled beds, kissed them goodnight and assured them that even as they slept, they were loved.
Ten years from now . . .
Ten years from now it won’t have mattered that the couch was threadbare.
Ten years from now, it will have mattered that we sat on that couch and laughed until we cried – and that on that very same couch, I held them when they cried genuine tears of sadness.
Ten years from now, it won’t have mattered if there were muddy footprints tracked through the house.
Ten years from now, it will have mattered that they ran with abandon, filled their lungs with fresh air, and connected with the wonder of nature.
Ten years from now, it won’t have mattered if I won every argument.
Ten years from now, it will have mattered that I lived my values.
Ten years from now, it won’t have mattered that they didn’t get everything they wanted.
Ten years from now, it will have mattered that their deepest needs were met.
Ten years from now, it won’t have mattered that I wasn’t a perfect parent.
Ten years from now, it will have mattered – and mattered deeply – that I was a present parent.
So today and every day, may I live in the moment with my children, with my eyes to their future.
And let me offer my children the gift of what will have mattered in ten years.
– by Lauren Rosenfeld, M.A., M.Ed., c0-author of Your To Be List and Breathing Room: The Spiritual Guide to Decluttering Your Home and Heart (due out Spring 2014!)
I absolutely loved this post. It highlights what I need to consistently remind myself about – concentrate on the things that matter and use my energy appropriately – for people, not things and for moments that you may never get back.
I'm going to print this out and hang it on the refrigerator!
Lauren,
Teary eyed…but
Ten years from now, it won't matter that my make-up ran.
Ten years from now, it will have mattered that I honored the remembrance of the labor pains…ever present enriching, inspiring and exploring all things born and reborn anew.
Bless you my friend. You touch my soul deeply…again.
It IS 10 years from "now" for me as my daughter is now in college – and I gotta say – every word of this post is true.
I love the idea of a To Be list. I'm going to give this some serious thought.
Amen to all this, sister. I'm travelling longterm with my son, and I do believe that the things we do and learn will matter in ten years time so much more than the trivia we all get so hung up on back "home". Thanks for a beautiful post.
That was beautiful. Sometimes it's hard to remember these things, thank you for the reminder!
This was an absolute "weller upper" of an article. One that touched my heart deeply! As easy as it is to wrapped up in the craziness of life my boys provide me the opportunity to be mindful and present to the moment, and every moment I spend with them is truly the most amazing gift I can receive as a parent.
Thanks so much for posting this, and I too will print this and post it on my fridge for sure:)
Patrick McMillan
http://www.happierkidsnow.com
Beautiful. The essence of what counts. A finely written reminder about core family values. Thank you for your insights. Lovely work. I will share this article with my audience of families of children with all abilities at http://www.ChildrenStrategies.com
Much needed post in this world fixated on everything but the present and those who make it important.
I just wrote about the same idea http://www.yourhealthyhomebiz.com/hours-dont-count-as-much.
Glad to have found your parenting blog.
Powerful post! I don't have children (yet), but will surely share this with friends and clients.
Being present makes a huge difference in life–not just physical presence.
Thanks Lauren!
ten years from now i will be looking at my kids loving someone with unconditionally and be proud to know they learned iit all from me loving them
Couldn't agree more. Time spent with children cannot be replaced with anything.
I agree with the moral of this post. We need to always be there for our children and we cannot just allow them to fend them for themselves. That is good parenting.
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