If Today Was Your Child’s Last Day

If today was your child’s last day is a post dedicated to all the mom’s out there who have lost a child, but especially to my best friend. 

Trigger Warning: Child Loss. 

You likely woke up today and it was a normal day for you. Rushing around and getting everything done that you need to do. There’s always errands, always cleaning, and someone always seems to need to be feed. You make a list of everything you need to get done and yell at your kids for the 20th time to get their dang shoes on so you can leave the house. The mundane nature of day in and day out is exhausting, but you keep plugging along. Whether you work from home or work outside the home, homeschool or send your kids off, are a CEO or stay-at-home parent, we all have a ton of things that need done.

There’s always something that needs done. As soon as you finish the last load of laundry, someone throws something in the hamper.  When the last dish is washed, someone finishes a snack. The moment that you’ve finally mopped all the floors, someone runs in from playing outside in the mud. Precisely as you scrub all the toilets, someone has to poop. When you finally save up enough for a weekend away, someone needs new soccer cleats or money for a field trip. It’s never ending. And if you focus on it too much, you’ll continue pushing everything off.

But what if today was your child’s last day?

If you woke up today and someone told you that today was your last day with your child, how would you handle things differently? It’s easy to say, “well, there’s always tomorrow.” However, we know that tomorrow is never promised.  It’s hard to even fathom thinking about that when it comes to our children, but the truth is that the next minute is never promised. Most days we take that for granted.

But today may be your child’s last day. Unfortunately, that’s just the reality of life. For my best friend, that day came a year ago today. It’s easy to love someone until it’s no longer an option. Think about that. It was easy for everyone who met her sweet boy to fall in love, but for many of us it’s no longer an option to love on her sweet boy. And while I know she gave her sweet boy everything he needed in life, her reality is different now.

While I can say that I have been far from perfect, there have been multiple things I’ve learned over the past year.

I’ve learned that as much as I can I should: 

• Read that extra book at bedtime
• Dance with my children when they ask
• Stop doing chores when they ask to cuddle on the couch and watch a movie together
• Say I love you a dozen more times
• Let them pick out anything they want in the store
• Put the phone down and play Candyland for the millionth time
• Shut the computer and play playdoh
• Try to do the monkey bars again and swing myself at the playground because it brings them joy
• Use that extra money I’ve been saving up to just take the trip now. TAKE THE TRIP NOW.
• Not get upset at the spilt cup of milk all over my couch after they know they weren’t supposed to have anything in the living room, but rather teach about grace
• Let them stay up past their bedtime
• Stop for ice cream just because
• Have a yes day (say yes to everything they ask for)
• Get in the pool and teach them to flip or play Marco Polo
• Give them a second lollipop
• More surprises
• More time
• and lots of More memories

Not every day will not be perfect. But even if you did one more thing every day, said yes to one more thing, didn’t get upset about one more thing…then, the lives of your family in difficult times may feel like you allowed a fulfilling life for your littles.  If today was your child’s last day how would you do it differently?

Background about the post: 

My best friend lost her sweet boy Beau at 27 months old on August 30, 2017 unexpectedly. Beau was born with a condition called Myotubular Myopathy. There is currently no cure for MTM. To learn more about Myotubular Myopathy you can visit the Joshua Frase Foundation.  To learn more specifically about Beau, please, visit Beau’s Brave Journey. #BraveBeau #MTMStrong

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