Growing Young...

There's been a lull in things at the Bauers the last couple weeks, and we're thankful for that, as the next week will be filled with excitement, and for me, emotion. Friday will be the end of school for Katherine - all done with kindergarten. To add to the tenor of things, it will also be her 6th birthday. I've decided that the fact that these milestones are on the same day will enhance my emotions exponentially, and I'm fully anticipating the excitement and emotion to be very strong.
It is so hard for me to believe how quickly my kids are growing up. To me, it seems impossible that Katherine will be a full-time student in the fall, and that Elizabeth will be following in her footsteps with her first year of pre-school. It is exciting to see them grow, and to watch them mature, but at the same time, it is somewhat sad at times. There have been times when Katherine has definitely begun to show the young girl propensity to run off with her friends, and, unbeknownst to her, leave her parents behind wondering when she grew up.
I am so proud of her and of Elizabeth. Now, don't think I'm forgetting Christopher - he's still at home, and I'm just beginning to experience the joys of having a boy, so I'm not feeling too sentimental about him. But, on the other hand, my girls are growing, and watching them grow brings a strong mixture of joy and bittersweet sadness. It is a joy, first and foremost, to see them growing in the Lord. Both girls love learning about Jesus, and it is a joy to see the hopeful roots of a strong faith taking hold. They have challenged me in the depth of my own faith, and have caused me to grow too. Talk about the child caring for the parent.
Of course, all of this comes on the heels of my Mom being gone - which has begun to make me realize how much I'm growing up. In many ways, my life has changed so much too. The problem is, I'm thankful for my growth, but a little sad for my children's. Could it only be that they would remain small and tender while I grew more wise and faithful? Unfortunately, one won't happen without the other, and neither one will actually happen. So goes the time....