emanation

I just managed to restrain myself from an old-man-giving-unsolicited-advice moment in a chat with a buddy who's a new parent. But the urge...it's too powerful...I...can't...stop myself!!  As challenging as each phase of parent/childhood feels, try to avoid the trap of saying or even thinking “I can’t wait until (they sleep through the night, they’re potty trained, they can stay the weekend at grandma’s, etc.)"  There will be as many lasts as there will be firsts and you never see them coming - the last time they said “materwellon” instead of watermelon; last time they needed your help with bandaids; the last time they begged you to watch their favorite movie. Find whatever joy you can during each season and phase. It's rarely difficult to see in hindsight, but it can be challenging in the moment. This is NOT to say that you should be happy and love every moment. I'm not advocating absolute (read, toxic) positivity. The challenges are real and valid. Acknowled