How a Child’s Simple Counting Took Me Back in Time

As I stood in the ladies' room during a recent trip, I couldn't help but overhear the sweet conversation between a mother and her young child. The little one was counting, their tiny voice echoing against the tiled walls. "One - two - three - four - five - six - seven - eight - nine - ten - twenty!" The innocence of that moment made me smile, but it also struck me in a way I didn’t expect.

That child’s misstep in counting felt like a metaphor for time itself—how quickly we seem to jump ahead without even realizing it. One moment, we’re painstakingly counting each number, each day, each milestone, and then, in what feels like the blink of an eye, we leap forward—suddenly at twenty.

I've often heard the phrase, "The days are long, but the years are short," and standing there, I felt the weight of its truth. With my own daughters, I remember the long days of childhood—the endless routines of bedtime stories, school drop-offs, scraped knees, and bedtime negotiations. Each stage felt like it would last forever, yet now, looking back, I see how fleeting they truly were. One day, they were learning to count, and the next, they were teenagers with dreams and independence pulling them forward.

It feels like just yesterday that my little girls were clinging to my hand, their laughter filling the house. And yet, somehow, here we are—ten turned into twenty, and childhood became memories in what felt like an instant. I find myself wishing I could press pause, rewind, and soak in those moments again—the little giggles, the bedtime snuggles, the tiny hands in mine. But time doesn’t wait; it keeps moving forward, often faster than we’re ready for.

As much as I long for those early days, I also feel an overwhelming sense of pride when I look at the young women my daughters have become. They are strong, kind, and full of ambition, each carving their own path in the world. Watching them grow has been the greatest privilege of my life, and though the years have passed too quickly, I am endlessly grateful for the people they are becoming.

That simple moment in the restroom—just a child practicing numbers—became an unexpected reminder to slow down, to savor the moments, even the ordinary ones. Because before we know it, we’ll be looking back, amazed at how we went from ten to twenty in what felt like a single breath.

Life moves fast, but if we take the time to listen, even in the most unexpected places, we might just catch a reminder to pause and cherish the moments before they blur into the next leap forward.