When I look at my son, I truly think time is a thief. All of them titas warn you that it goes in the blink of an eye, and it all goes too fast, and it is one of those things that you do not really believe, nor grasp the concept of until it finally happens. The days were long – some more than others – but the two years flew by before I could even stop to breathe. It is during milestones like this when the importance of stopping to pause, taking a break, and spending as many of those small moments with him truly hits me.

Contrary to the first year of life where every month is celebrated, his second year was marked by milestone moments such as his first steps, his first words, his first this, and his first that. He is expressing his emotions more (albeit sometimes a bit too much), shows strong preferences, and retains the ability to make the whole household revolve around him. When they tell you having a child changes your life, they forget to warn you how much it will change. All of a sudden, the smallest human being takes charge of you without his even knowing it. It stretches you, tests you, and as cliché as it sounds, opens your eyes to a whole new world, and shows you the importance of so many things you may just have taken lightly, or for granted before.

Having a toddler around teaches you to marvel over the mundane, and all of a sudden, fallen leaves, its different sizes and shapes, are now of extreme importance and interest. The garden hose and sprinkler sparks the most joy, and inevitably, you revert back to your childhood as you knead play dough once again, and explore the different textures and feels of all the slime out there. You start reading the labels on snacks more intently, and from being a police and stickler for time and routine, this stage has taught you that yes, while structure is important and it matters, you must also seize control on the micro details of the nitty gritty for your own sanity.

Toddlers will tantrum, and toddlers will test. And test your patience they will do. Trying to keep your cool, and your calm in the midst of their meltdowns are the greatest challenge, but speaking their language, and making them understand what is acceptable versus unacceptable is crucial at this stage. Gone are the days where the ounces of milk consumed in a day mattered the most because now, it is all about keeping them busy and finding ways to keep then entertained without the screen as much as possible. But every single day is a gift. Every single day with them at this age is a new day with so much new discovery, skill and growth.

If there is anything I can leave you with this week it is that time is borrowed, and time is truly precious. Every single minute is a gift, which is why, we should choose who to spend it with, and what to spend it on. Time is a constant and no matter what we do, we can only move forward, and can never go back. Let us make sure to spend our time in a way that we will remember fondly in the years to come.