Recently, when people find out I have two adult daughters who are out of the house, I’ve had a number of those people say, “Oh man, I can’t wait till my kids are gone.”

Then I look at their kids and they are little. There’s a lot of years to go and these parents are already dreaming of an empty house.

I remember the younger years; raising small ones and all the effort that goes into it. The days can be long. I understand frustration can make you say things that you don’t really mean.

However, it is a sad thing to me, though, to wish the years away and to wish that someone you love is no longer near. It’s also sad to me to think, “What if this child heard and understood that their parent can’t wait for them to be grown and gone?”

This is a side effect of a culture that devalues children and values “me time” above all else.

My girls left yesterday after visiting for a week and the house is not as full now. It’s exciting to me to watch them go make their way in the world, but watching your kids go is a hard thing.

Don’t wish life away, Catholic Pilgrims. Enjoy your children at every stage because each stage is special and never to be repeated. Life is too short to wish time away so that you can get to a point where the only person you need to focus on is yourself.

The long days, the struggles, the exhaustion will one day, quicker than you think, be a distant memory and you’ll miss those baby days, those chubby-cheeked toddler days, those early school days, those coming-into-their-personality days, those independent teenage days.

Thank God for the here and now.

Live the Faith boldly and travel well this Thursday.