Slow Growin'

 

            One of our friends loves Lexi so much. She probably loves her almost as much as we do. (I refuse to believe anyone can actually love her as much as we do, but if it happened, she would be the one.) She likes for me to text pictures of Lexi every day, multiple times a day, if I can. I get behind and have to send a few days’ worth at a time, but I do my best to keep her well-supplied.

            Over the weekend, I sent her a picture of Ryan decorating above Lexi’s bed. Several months ago, I had a canvas made of a picture of a sleeping baby Lexi. It has her name on it and hangs right above her bed. Our friend asked about the picture and wanted to know how old Lexi was in it. I had to scramble through old photo files to find it, and I learned she was a mere ten weeks old in that sweet little memory I captured.

            As I hunted, I ran across so many pictures and videos of our baby girl. I’d forgotten just how little she was. I’d forgotten her baby waddle and how she could barely see over the top of the coffee table, even if she stood on her tippy toes.

            Is this how parents feel when they look at baby pictures of their children? All weepy and sentimental?

            Partly because of her breed and partly because of her age, we still have oodles of work ahead of us in training Lexi. But when I look back over this past year with her, I can see so much growth! Not just physical growth, although certainly I see that – but I see so much change for the better in her behavior.

            She doesn’t bite all day every day anymore. (I’m sure that is largely because she’s no longer teething all day every day anymore.) She can put herself down for a nap. She can make it through a whole walk on her own, rather than needing Ryan to carry her the last stretch of the way. She can self-entertain.

            We went through phases when we weren’t sure some of those things would ever happen. And I’m sure, in another year, I’ll be able to look back and see growth in some of her challenging areas right now!

            It gives me great hope for myself. Growth – true growth – is slow. Painfully slow, sometimes. Only with the perspective of time can we look back and see measurable progress. That makes it hard in the moment, but it’s so rewarding on the other side of a stretch of time.

            If you’re frustrated with yourself over something that isn’t happening or changing as quickly as you’d like, let me gently remind you that growth takes time. True change is more likely to last when you work through it slowly and let it take root.

            It will come. Be faithful to show up every day and work through to new habits. Growth is slow, but it will come. One day you’ll be able to look back and see how far you’ve come! Don’t give up!