Breaking Away by Robin Gorman Newman


Seth and I were with a friend of mine recently, and she commented to me how she can see a difference in him.  That he’s not a little boy anymore….and that I should hold on tight to him…..his youth…while I can.  Before you know it, he won’t be quite as huggy and agreeable to being with mommy.

Seth is 9.  And, this discussion brought me back to what another friend said years ago….that you blink your eyes….and they’re grown!

I didn’t totally buy into it at the time….but now I get it!!

Where does time go?

It does seem a bit like a blip when I think back to his babyhood and toddler days. 

A new later mom friend of mine has a three month old, and she is immensely grateful to have him in her life and is enjoying him.  We met for lunch at the diner recently, and she brought him with her.  It was like a trip down memory lane for me.  She kept him in the stroller parked tightly next to our table.  And, when he got hungry and craved mommy time, she cradled and soothed and fed him, clasping his tiny body in her loving arms.  Women passersby stopped to ogle and proclaim how cute he was.  One woman said “she’d like one!”  She looked like an aspiring grandma or older empty nester.  Flashback to when Seth was a baby, and I’d bring him to the very same diner, and place him in his car seat on the table.  It was at this diner that he once had a meltdown in the doorway.  Feels like a lifetime ago.

Childhood is so fleeting.

We want to do a good job and spend time with our kids and cultivate a close relationship. I feel like I do that with Seth.    And, I try to respect his desire to do his own thing, which I see more ‘n more of of late.  He’s totally into his MAC and Nintendo DS.  He’s high tech all the way and heavy on the equipment…though we refuse at this point to get him an iPad.

I love it when we commute into the city, and he grabs for my hand walking through Penn Station or crossing the street or navigating through a crowd.  He wants to know I’m there, yet he’s breaking away.  I feel it, and while normal, it takes a bit of an adjustment.

He’s becoming more ‘n more his own person.

And, while he’ll always be my buddy (I hope)….he won’t always be my little guy.  Though my husband says, I will always think of him that way.  He’s probably right.

 

  1. 4 Responses to “Breaking Away by Robin Gorman Newman”

  2. I just had this same conversation with a friend yesterday. I was complaining about the fact that I’m learning that vacationing with my 14 month old isn’t really that much of a vacation. Most places aren’t baby proofed so I’ve spent most of my time following behind him making sure he doesn’t break precious valuables (including him!). He’s climbing and curious about everything and doesn’t care to lose exploring time by sleeping. I was saying I couldn’t wait till we get through this stage, and I can’t wait until he can really communicate.

    My friend pointed out that it goes by in a blink of an eye, her children are approaching their 30’s. She said to me, think about it, 1995 was 17 years ago. To me that seems like yesterday!! That night I had a blast with my little toddler. We explored things on our knees together.

    By Tara on Jul 27, 2012

  3. Your blog reminds me of a comment Brandon made yesterday. We were walking into a store, discussing physics and the effects of gravity (don’t even ask). I made the statement, “One day soon, I am going to turn around and you are going to be a teenager!” Brandon, who was walking a few steps behind me, said, “Mommy…turn around…,” I turned and he stopped in his tracks and said, “Do I LOOK like a teenager??” I laughed, went over and hugged him, and said, “No…and I love you exactly the way you are today!” The reality, though, is that I AM going to turn around in a few short years and say to myself, “Wasn’t he 9 just a few months ago??”

    By Cara Meyers on Jul 27, 2012

  4. Yup….scary how fast time flies and they grow up!

    By Robin Gorman Newman on Jul 27, 2012

  5. Enjoy him Tara!! Your friend is right. I can relate to how you feel with him at this stage…but trust me….when he gets to be older, you’ll miss the days you could cradle him in your arms. Each stage of their growth presents unique challenges that at the time can feel exasperating, but when you get past it and look back, in the scheme of things what’s important is to try to treasure their development, as I’m sure you will.

    By Robin Gorman Newman on Jul 27, 2012