MTC #217 - Of Sunrises, Sunsets, and Sunflowers

As the years just continue to speed by, I find myself singing--almost defiantly yelling along--to an upbeat song by the 80s band called The Origin, in which they proclaim over and over and over again, "I'm not growing old!"  Alas, though, I realize that no matter how much I sing, or yell, or wish that phrase to be true, it is not. I AM growing old. At least, old-er. And this year I'm really feeling it. 

On the broadcast today, we sang the well-known song from Fiddler on the Roof, sung by the main character Tevye, called Sunrise, Sunset. To me, the music itself is very melancholy, and invokes a sentimental sadness that makes the lyrics all the more poignant. Lyrics that I can relate to, more than I would like: 

Is this the little girl i carried?
Is this the little boy at play?
I don't remember growing older,
When did they?
When did she get to be a beauty?
When did he grow to be so tall?
Wasn't it yesterday when they were small?

Sunrise sunset, sunrise, sunset,
Swiftly flow the days,
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers,
Blossoming even as they gaze...

Sunrise sunset, sunrise, sunset!
Swiftly fly the years,
One season following another,
Laden with happiness and tears... 

UG!

Rebekah & Josh then

To know why these lyrics tugged at my heartstrings today, is to understand my two oldest children. My oldest, Rebekah, just left home last September, for college, and she is now off serving a mission in London. My second oldest, Joshua, is currently in his senior year of high school and will be headed off to college in the Fall. So as I sang the first verse of this song today, I had all of these memories surface of

Rebekah & Josh now

when my two oldest were still little. And as the song continued, every single lyric ringed true. When did they grow older? Wasn't it just yesterday they were small? Why have the days gone by so quickly? And how is it they can suddenly transform into adults even as I continue to gaze upon them (i.e. transform right in front of my eyes)!

Even the reference to sunflowers is completely appropriate. Why did the author of the song choose sunflowers out of all the other kinds of flowers? Well, I don't for sure. But two unique attributes of sunflowers relate very well to kids. First, the flower grows very quickly. In fact, it can reach up to 12 feet in the matter of only six months. Second, the face of the flower follows the sun throughout the day. And for me, that relates to how kids quickly absorb light and knowledge ALL THE TIME. And before you know it, they take what you taught them and then they're off!

At any rate, while I did manage to keep my emotions in check, those emotions were there, nonetheless. Don't get me wrong, I'm completely and utterly proud of my kids (the two oldest and the three after them), but sometimes I just struggle with change and long to go back to the years when they wanted to held, cuddled, and reassured that everything would be OK. How about it? Could I do that for just a few minutes? My wife and I would take even 30 seconds.

I think I can now finally relate to Tevye. 

Until next time, God be with you.