What They Said

“It’ll get easier,” they said. “Just you wait,” they said. “It will go fast,” they said.

“She will sleep through the night,” they said. “But you will miss the middle-of-the-night wakeups — just you wait,” they said. “It will go so fast,” they said. And she did, and you did, and it did.

“He will learn to take to the bottle,” they said. “But you will miss nursing him — just you wait,” they said. “It will go so fast,” they said. And he did, and you did, and it did.

“She will stop crying every time you drop her at school,” they said. “But you will miss her clutching to your neck — just you wait,” they said. “It will go so fast,” they said. And she did, and you did, and it did.

“He will learn to ride that bike without training wheels,” they said. “But you will miss running alongside him, cheering him on — just you wait,” they said. “It will go so fast,” they said. And he did, and you did, and it did.

“She will learn to tie her shoes,” they said. “But you will miss tying those little shoes on her little feet — just you wait,” they said. “It will go so fast,” they said. And she did, and you did, and it did.

“He will make new friends at school,” they said. “But you will miss how he looks to you with such love and excitement every time you are around — just you wait,” they said. “It will go so fast,” they said. And he did, and you did, and it did.

“She will learn to stand up for herself,” they said. “But you will miss her turning to you for comfort and advice and support — just you wait,” they said. “It will go so fast,” they said. And she did, and you did, and it did.

“He will stop believing in Santa,” they said. “But you will miss the magic in his eyes on Christmas morning, the hiding of the presents, the moving of the elf — just you wait,” they said. “It will go so fast,” they said. And he did, and you did, and it did.

“She will find her true passion,” they said. “But you will miss the exploration, the trials, rejections, the various carpools to all the places — just you wait,” they said. “It will go so fast,” they said. And she did, and you did, and it did.

“He will grow out of wanting to spend every moment by your side,” they said. “But you will miss the togetherness, the feeling of being needed, the pure love — just you wait,” they said. “It will go so fast,” they said. And he did, and you did, and it did.

“She will stop being so snarky,” they said. “But you will miss the apologies afterward and the opportunity to guide her to better ways to express herself — just you wait,” they said. “It will go so fast,” they said. And she did, and you did, and it did.

“He will become more organized and motivated,” they said. “But you will miss the ability to be there to help and being the one he turns to for advice — just you wait,” they said. “It will go so fast,” they said. And he did, and you did, and it did.

“She will learn to love her body,” they said. “But you will miss shopping with her, and her asking for advice, and giving her compliments continuously — just you wait,” they said. “It will go so fast,” they said. And she did, and you did, and it did.

“He will start to drive himself,” they said. “But you will miss that alone time in the car, his undivided attention, and honest conversations — just you wait,” they said. “It will go so fast,” they said. And he did, and you did, and it did.

“She will not always give in to peer pressure,” they said. “But you will miss watching her grow, make her own decisions, and stand up for her convictions — just you wait,” they said. “It will go so fast,” they said. And she did, and you did, and it did.

“He will find a girl to love him,” they said. “But you will miss when he was happy to spend his vacation time, dinner time, and weekends with you — just you wait,” they said. “It will go so fast,” they said. And he did, and you did, and it did.

“She will learn that a boy loving her is not the most important thing,” they said. “But you will miss talking through young love with her and helping her determine her self-worth without him — just you wait,” they said. “It will go so fast,” they said. And she did, and you did, and it did.

“He will move out of your house one day,” they said. “But you will miss the laundry, the noise, and even the smells — just you wait,” they said. “It will go so fast,” they said. And he did, and you did, and it did.

“It won’t always be easy,” they said.

“But you will miss the hard — just you wait,” they said.

“It will go so fast,” they said. 

And it wasn’t, and you do, and it does.