Transition Time

Well, it's been a few days since I posted, so here we go.

Over the weekend, I babysat my siblings. A lot. You know, it's really crazy because I remember being babysat way back when. Not by my sibling, obviously, because I am the oldest. But by others that I now go to activities with at church. It's amazing how that time flies. I had babysitters who weren't sure how to handle watching someone who could handle the place almost by herself. Around age 10, I had the place figured out. I could make dinner and change diapers for my littlest siblings and knew nap times and what needed to be accomplished before my parents got back...The thing is, I think I was a better "sitter" back then. I was mostly friends with the people who babysat me, so I tried to be friends with those younger than me. I was responsible and aimed to impress. I was involved and funny and we went outside and played like children. Now my parents leave and my brother plants himself in front of a video game and my sister takes some time to sing the lyrics to a song she is trying to memorize. Or she writes.

I remember when I used to idolize my babysitters like my littlest sister does to me. She sings and writes just like I do. And does her hair and makeup already. She's only 8 years old, but she tries to be like me. And when I was her age, or maybe just a little bit older, I would have been the perfect person to look up to. But how lazy have I become? Maybe it's not me entirely. Maybe it's just this time. How easy it is to just sit. The house is at peace, nothing is breaking (okay, except the glass they knocked over, but they even made those easy to clean up if they shatter!), nobody is bored or upset. Lunch is a matter of throwing something in a microwave between levels or verses. We are now able to rush through life to the point that we give ourselves extra time to be lazy. Like taking only a minute to go through the motions will justify taking 30 minutes to just sit there and "veg".

Over this weekend (plus Monday) I started attending adult meetings at church, slowly leaving the youth program one activity at a time. (okay, maybe the goal was the super yummy cheesecake at the Young Single Adults' Family Home Evening lesson...but I'm transitioning!) I entered the youth program at church only 6 short years ago, and I'm starting to get ready to leave. I don't think I could do it all at once. Too many people I love, too many memories, too many goodbyes. And hellos. I guess I don't like change, but I like time moving along too much to completely reject change.

So, as I think about time and the timeless things in life, I also want to say to take the time. Maybe don't smell the roses, but at least acknowledge that they are there. I think we really have reached that point, where we don't even notice them anymore. Take time to smile at the elderly couple holding hands or to notice the sun flickering off of water or to even speak to your siblings. I think that's my goal this week. Is to slow down and take the time to transition, to know both worlds- adulthood and childhood- at the same time; try to embrace the naive but sincere willingness of childhood with the responsibility of adulthood.