This Too Shall Pass

"This too shall pass..." I can still hear Amy Grant's voice ringing in my ears as I traveled to Florida in 2008. I was listening to her audiobook Mosaic as I headed on a month long escape/adventure. I cried over the reflection of what had passed in my life. The good and the bad. It is always comforting to know the bad will pass, yet we mourn the loss of the good.
My dad said it to me the other day -- "this too shall pass" -- as we were discussing an issue that was grating on me. I instantly remembered Amy's voice and reminded myself not to wish life away. It is just so short. Embrace the bad with the good. In a short time it will pass.
This week I learned of a dear friend with kidney cancer. Shortly after hearing the news, one of my best high school friends announced the death of her father. I wanted to shout at life, "Wait! Stop! Slow down! How can this be happening? I need more time!"
I watched Charlotte run off with her friends in indirectly supervised boundaries. She would return for a check-in and a quick hug, then flitter away on her scooter. She is growing up so fast. "Wait. Stop. Slow down! How can this be happening? I need more time!"
Time is passing, indeed. The weeks move so quickly I find myself speaking in terms of months not days or hours. I certainly feel the tug of intentionality to value the moment.