Seventeen

Laina with her Oma Dekker

Laina turned 17 today!  We enjoyed a rare afternoon together, going out for lunch and shopping at the outlets.  We got some great bargains- the benefit of having a birthday right after Christmas ;) 

The following is a poem she recently wrote for a school assignment about how quickly time goes by and we grow up.  Yes, time does go by quickly. I realize her time remaining at home will be shorter than the time she has already spent living with us... There is always a part of us that wants things to stay the same. But it is also exciting to see our children grow up and develop into who God created them to be.   I love you, Laina!!  My prayer for you is that you will live each day for the glory of God.

When I was little, everything was slow.

Birthdays took forever, years crawled by.

The future seemed an eternity away.

Slowly as I grew, time sped up.

As if my life were picking up speed,

Rolling, gaining momentum.

I used to count down the years,

16, 18, 20, old enough to be free.

Now all I want is for life to slow down.

It races along, pulling me with it.

Years hurtle past, some things I wish would last.

I grasp at things and realize,

It’s already a week past.

My next birthday is rapidly approaching.

I still feel like the one two years ago,

Happened yesterday.

When did life speed up?

Start racing me along?

Was it when I started growing up?

I wouldn’t mind being little,

And letting life crawl by.

Because all too soon I fear,

I’ll be old, and die.

(by Laina E. Van Wingerden)