SWEET SIXTEEN...

Dawn Boyle

Time is flying too fast for me. Seems like yesterday we brought Sarah home, she will be 10 in July. My baby Gracie turns 7 next week. I feel like screaming at the top of my lungs STOP!


Saturday night we celebrated a cousin's Sweet 16. It was a formal party held at the Westbury Manor (Long Island, NY). In the mix of trying to get everyone ready I didn't even notice that Sarah had decided to put leggings under the dress she had on. She may have even asked if it was alright... I have no idea or recollection. There were issues, Gracie's straps were too long, the shoes that she wore for Christmas suddenly were too big, you know the regular trying to get everyone in the house ready to be somewhere and you are stuck putting on the mascara in the car mirror kind of event. It was the leggings that got me so annoyed that actually opened my eyes to the much bigger picture.
After a cocktail hour we were ushered into the main room. The DJ asked us all to stand up for the entrance of the guest of honor. Paulina walked in and looked like a living doll. She was gorgeous. They announced her father, he took his daughters hand and danced to Butterfly Kisses. We all stood and watched, there was not a dry eye in the room. It seems like yesterday Paulina was dressed in the white dress with the white shoes and veil for her communion. And that is when it hit me. I looked over at my daughters standing with their Dad. Why did Sarah have on Leggings? This was a formal affair. Just as that raced through my head, Sarah grabbed her fathers hand. I looked back at Paulina and her father and realized that soon enough it will be Sarah's Sweet 16. These years you never get back. They go too fast. I want to slam on the brakes and sit back and tell her stop growing up, but I can't. It's out of my control. There is no rewind button or pause. Life is truly flying by.  Leggings don't really matter. What matters is my children and family being together celebrating what a great kid Paulina is and the amazing young lady that she is becoming. That somehow these milestone moments are just as important for everyone not only the birthday girl. These milestones make us take a breath and appreciate where we are right now and how in the blink of an eye - we will be right there.


My girls woke up yesterday morning and instantly started fighting. The yelling and screaming had new meaning for me. It didn't get me as angry or upset. I even smiled at Greg and said one day we are going to miss hearing this...


Big hugs to my girls...& Happy Sweet 16 Paulina!