Are You Too Busy

Angela, 2-years-old, May 1991

She liked to sit in the pantry while I was in the kitchen!

(I miss that pantry in my other house.)

When Angela was little she loved books. She still does. That girl doesn't go anywhere without a book in her bag.

And it never failed - every time I went to the kitchen to start supper she wanted me to read her a story.

Being the choleric, get-it-done person I am, this used to frustrate me. I had hamburger to fry, pasta to boil, casseroles to put together and I wanted to get it done without interruption.

I remember saying to her on more than one occasion, "I'm too busy right now, you'll have to wait."

Then one day I actually heard what I was saying. "I'm too busy for you. Making dinner comes first."

I asked myself why she had to wait.

Couldn't I turn off the fire under the hamburger and come back to it? Could the casserole wait to be put together? Can I wait a few minutes before I add the pasta to the already boiling water?

Can dinner be ready a few minutes late?

Yes. Those things could wait.

My baby girl wasn't going to be my baby girl forever. I wanted her to know I thought of her as more important than getting dinner on the table. I wanted her to know I loved her enough to stop what I was doing and make time for her.

I wasn't always perfect at it, but I tried my best to let her know she was my priority.

Now my baby girl is fixin' to turn 23-years-old in a couple of months. How I would love to have those moments back of sitting on the couch reading "Go, Dog, Go" to her one more time. (Or as she called it, "Dog And Go")

Do you still have little ones? Make sure they know how important they are to you. Time really does fly and you can't catch it to take it back. Make it count!

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