I was sitting on a bench
While in a nearby mall
When I noticed a young mother
With two children who were small

The youngest one was whining
“Pick me up,” I heard him beg
But the mother’s face grew angry
As the child clung to her leg

“Don’t hang on to me,” she shouted
As she pushed his hands away
And I wished I’d had the courage
To go up to her and say

The time will come too quickly
When those little arms that tug
Won’t ask for you to hold them
Or won’t freely give a hug

The day will sneak up subtly
Just as it did with me
When you can’t recall the last time
That your child sat on your knee


Like those sacred, pre-dawn feedings
When we cherished time alone
Our babies grow and leave behind
Those special times we’ve known

So when your child comes to you
With a book that you can share
Or asks that you would tuck him in
And help him say his prayer

When he comes to sit and chat
Or would like to take a walk
Before you answer that you can’t
‘Cause there’s no time to talk

Remember what each parent learns
So many times too late
That years go by too quickly
And that childhood doesn’t wait.