There was a time when my days felt impossibly long. My kids were the 4:00 a.m. toddlers, ready to run while I was just trying to survive. The messes, the noise, the never-ending “Mom…” — it was a lot.

Chaos can be overwhelming. It has a way of crowding out the sweeter moments.

They say the days are long but the years are short, and that’s true. I look at them — 13 and 16 — weren’t they just saying “mama” for the first time?

But what no one tells you is that the chaos doesn’t go away. It just shifts. Now the chaos looks like piles of shoes and backpacks by the door, forgotten texts, and last minute poster board emergencies. It’s carpools, sports games, and high school drama. It’s different, but it all still takes up space.I try to be really in it, because I know these days are disappearing fast and can still slip by if I’m not careful.

So I try to catch them. I take the photo, even if someone groans. I re-read the occasional sweet text message they send. I sit in the car a few extra minutes and let the silence settle. Because these are the days too. Not just the little hand, picture-book days. But the wild jokes, the independence, the late-night Walmart runs.

I’m still in it. Still needed. And no, I don’t soak in every moment.

But sometimes I do. And that’s enough. Because someday, the chaos will be gone — and I know I’ll miss it.