Yesterday he was just a little thing I held in my arms. Before I knew it he was crawling. Then he took off walking. I remind myself not to blink my eyes very often for fear of losing a precious moment of time with my grand children.

I remember how quickly time flew by when I was busy raising their parents. They seemed to have grown up over night. They were playing video games and talking on the phone and before I could get used to that stage they were dating.

Time is such a precious reminder to love our children and to nurture them every day. Recently I talked to a young woman who lost her son this past summer. He was only six years old. He was playing outside one minute and in the hospital critically ill the next.

She looked down at my daughter and said that I should never take a second for granite. Because of my health issues I know exactly what she means. I want to be here to see my last daughter graduate and go off to college.

I know she is well established and would be just fine if God called me home sooner. Yet I am selfish and I want to stay here and watch her go off to her first dance and hear her tell friends of her first crush on a cute boy.

Right now she is more interested in frogs and rock collecting. But I know it wont be long until she is off into other adventures.

Just like my grandson Devin in this picture. He is two and already pretending to drive. It wont be long before he is asking his mom or dad to borrow the car keys.

Be aware mom and dad. Just as their bodies grow and the are off into living life. The sources of harm around them is growing also. They need to know about safe sex at a much younger age now. They need to hear and see others giving up smoking and refusing the use of drugs.

Children learn by peer pressure and example. When the group is all drinking they feel out of place if they do not drink with them. It is time to teach them that being an individual is a good choice. They can make their own road and not follow the crowd.

Help your child make the difficult choices of growing up fast. Warn them over and over. Even when you are sure they have heard you...say it again. That one reminder may be what saves your child from crossing that busy street like the little six year old. His last words were "Mom you told me not to....." Her last words were "Son I love you."