Don't Blink

To the parents at Starbucks with their young son,

You guys seem like nice people. Your one-year-old son is adorable and well-behaved, and enjoyed quietly running around the tables and waving to other patrons. I kinda wanted to pick him up and squish his cheeks.

I understand what your life is like right now. You're tired. So extremely tired. You're wondering if you're ever going to get a decent night's sleep again. (The answer is no, by the way.) You're tired of mashing food, of filling bottles or nursing, and you're loving your child immeasurably, but missing how simple life used to be. But this tiny life is incredible and makes it all worth while. And you guys are doing a great job.

But here's the deal. I know you're tired, and the only thing you really want sometimes is a break. And there are times for that. But that time is not in the middle of Starbucks at 9:30 at night, sucking up the free WiFi while your baby tries desperately to play with you. He's too little right now to realize how checked out you are, but soon he's going to get it. He's going to realize that whatever you're doing with your handheld gizmo is more interesting, more important, and more gratifying to you than spending time with him.

You know how people say that kids grow up so fast. All you do is blink and they're grown? It's true. So in the words of my favorite Doctor, Don't blink. If you blink, you'll miss it. And guess what. You're missing it. While you sit there on your "smart" phone, you're missing it. While you check Facebook, you're missing it. While you play Angry Birds, you're missing it. While you watch "Real Housewives of Instanbul," you're missing it. Turn off the distractions. They're distracting you from what matters. And we all do it. I'm just as guilty as you are. But I'm realizing that the things you learn about your kids while you're checked in beats the heck out of whatever Haz Cheeseburger Cat is doing.

Your son is only going to want to play peek-a-boo for a breath of time, and then all you'll have are memories. Unless you're too busy being distracted, and then you'll have nothing. Be present, sweet parents. Because this happens too fast to be anything but.