Cherish it...

On two separate occasions at Starbucks today I was told by a father with older kids to cherish the time I have with Violet. One showed me pictures of his 29 year old daughter getting married. The other had his two kids with him, both around 7 or 8 years old,  well-behaved, and independently reading or playing with action figures. 

I'll be honest, such advice used to piss me off. During those long, sleepless nights of sleep regression and unreasonable panic, there was nothing I wished for more than dropping Violet off at college someday and getting back to my awesome, carefree adventurous life (insert laugh track here).

Nowadays, I think about how I can't remember the last time Violet did something. We all focus on "firsts", when in reality, it's the "lasts" that really mark milestones and progress.  When we start overlooking those moments is when they're suddenly rolling their eyes at you because you're lingering a little too long in their new dorm while they're trying to make new friends.