The good old days aren’t just something we remember; they’re something we’re creating right now. The laughter, the routines, the busy schedules, and the ordinary moments are all part of a life worth appreciating. These are the “good old days.”
Have you ever found yourself looking back on the past with rose colored glasses and reminiscing about the “good old days”?
Maybe it was the early years of your marriage when life felt simpler. Maybe it was when your children were little and still wanted to hold your hand everywhere you went. Maybe it was your high school years, your college days, or even a season when life seemed less complicated, and responsibilities felt lighter.
It’s natural to look back with fondness. Our memories have a way of softening the hard edges and highlighting the moments that made us smile.
But what if we’re looking at this all wrong?
What if the good old days aren’t behind us?
What if we’re living them right now?
The Danger of Living in the Past
Nostalgia can be a beautiful thing. It helps us appreciate where we’ve been and the people who have shaped our lives.
However, when we become too focused on the past, we risk missing the beauty of the present.
We tell ourselves things like:
“I miss when the kids were little.”
“I wish I could go back to those simpler days.”
“Those were the best years of my life.”
And while there may be truth in those statements, they can unintentionally rob us of gratitude for the season we’re currently in.
Because every stage of life comes with unique gifts.
The years when your children were toddlers were wonderful. But so are the years when they can carry on meaningful conversations, drive themselves places, and become adults you enjoy spending time with.
The years when your home was full of noise and activity were special. But so are the quieter years when you finally have time to pursue hobbies, friendships, and interests that may have been set aside for a season.
Every chapter has something worth appreciating.
One Day, You’ll Miss This Too
A few years from now, you’ll likely look back on today and realize how quickly it passed.
The messy kitchen after family dinners.
The pile of shoes by the door.
The text messages from your teenagers.
The busy schedules.
The daily routines that feel repetitive and ordinary.
The people sitting around your table.
The body you’re living in.
The home you sometimes complain about cleaning.
One day, many of these things will change. And when they do, you’ll probably find yourself wishing you could relive a few ordinary moments that seem insignificant today.
The reality is that many of the things we currently take for granted will become memories we cherish.
Stop Waiting for Life to Start
Sometimes we convince ourselves that life will be better when:
- The house is organized.
- The kids are older.
- We lose the weight.
- We retire.
- We have more money.
- We finally get caught up.
But life isn’t waiting for us on the other side of those milestones.
Life is happening right now.
It’s happening in the carpool line, during family dinners, while folding laundry, during conversations with friends, and while sitting in the hot tub watching the sunset.
If we’re constantly looking ahead or behind, we miss the moments unfolding right in front of us.
Embrace the Season You’re In
Every season has challenges.
Young families deal with exhaustion and constant demands.
Parents of teenagers navigate new worries and responsibilities.
Empty nesters face transitions and changing identities.
Retirees encounter their own adjustments and uncertainties.
No season is perfect.
But every season contains joy, purpose, growth, and opportunities that won’t come again in quite the same way.
Instead of wishing for a different chapter, what if we learned to appreciate the one we’re currently living?
Not because it’s perfect.
Not because every day is easy.
But because it’s ours.
These Are The Good Old Days
Years from now, you’ll likely look back on this season with those same rose colored glasses you currently reserve for the past.
You’ll remember the people, the routines, the traditions, the challenges, and the ordinary moments that made up your life.
So don’t wait until they’re gone to appreciate them.
Sit on the porch.
Call a friend.
Laugh with your family.
Take the picture.
Eat the dessert.
Enjoy another ordinary day.
Celebrate the season you’re in.
The good old days aren’t just something we remember…they’re something we’re creating right now.
Rabecka says
Love this post! Your thoughts are exactly right. Every day there is something worth being appreciated and ‘soaked in’ while it lasts. Happy birthday!
Andrea says
Thanks Rabecka 🙂
Patsy Y Dodgson says
My father used to say,”there’s nothing like the good old days, not even the good old days.”
Andrea says
haha — I love this saying!
Payson says
I just re-read this post, and it made me smile! You are so right. Even though I am only 12, I do find myself thinking back to “The Good Old Days”. Thanks for the reminder!
Lisa says
As I am about to finish my last class and graduate and about to turn 40 (I graduate next Saturday) and then turn 40 on July 2nd… I am VERY glad that you posted this and I got to read it because I am the type of person to constantly find things that need to be done and now that I am going to be done with school – I need to remember to slow down and sit back a little and enjoy these good ole days with my 10 year old and 2 year old girls.
So although I have started my “to do” list of things I want to get done – I am going to also make sure I slow down some and enjoy the time with my hubby and my girls.
thank you for the reminder!!
Deb says
Soooo true. My oldest is getting married in a week. The days are long, but the years are short. Live in the here and now, not in the when they get older, I will…..stage. I honestly cannot believe that 20 years have passed, we are super excited about the future and LOVE his bride, but there is just a momentary sadness that this time is over already. I so clearly realize now what is was like for my parents, it wasn’t that they didn’t trust me, or love my soon to be husband or anything like that, it was just hard to accept the reality that your baby is all grown up,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Priyanka says
I think thinking about good old days is in the air. Just the other evening, my husband and I were talking about the good old day when we could just impulsivley do things, like go out for a drive or walk. Now things work around Neil’s schedule. But down the line we’ll find these times simpler.
Oh, and a very Happy Birthday to you!
Jeanine says
Thanks for this great reminder! You are so right! I had to laugh when you said that you and Dave sometimes look back to your pre-parenting days, and think that those were the good old days, because I don’t think that you’ve ever had a time when you had little to do! I admit though that after becoming a parent, I wondered what I used to do with all my extra time:). Still, my four children range in age from 12 to 29, and I would love to have a single day back with any one of them at Nora’s age. Of course, I would plan not to do a single other thing on that day, which of course, never happened when they were actually that young!
Andrea says
Amen! If I could go back to Nora’s newborn days, I would have just sat their and held her. I was so worried about her becoming too clingy if I held her too much — it would have prevented so many tears if I just put her in a sling and held her all day 🙂 Live and learn I suppose!
Debby says
Andrea,
Never ever worry about what you are “supposed” to do with Nora. My very best friend whom I love like a sister, took her kids binkies away at 14 months because she read that was the age that you were supposed to take them away(?????) Her kids cried so hard for a week. My youngest only had hers in the car or bed after she could speak. When she was 2 1/2 she said she wanted to throw it away and she did. That night she wanted it for bed, I said oh we threw it away remember. She said “oh yeah” and went to bed. End of story and I actually remember that day so vividly and how cute she was. Much better memory than her screaming and crying because I decided it was what I supposed to do. Same thing with potty training. My mantra became, no one goes to kindegarden doing______. You can fill in the blank. Another great post. love it
Mama Murrey says
And if you need more time than that, my mom says, “Nobody walks down the aisle still wetting their pants.”
Jennifer says
Oh, yes. We, or at least I can shoulda, coulda, woulda myself to death about my sons first year. My answer–remember it all for the next one! 🙂
Lori says
Thanks for the reminder. Happy Birthday and God’s blessings on you and your family!
Jen says
Happy birthday. The finale of “The Office” had a similar line in it – something like “I wish we could know we were in the good old days while they are happening.” That has stuck with me.
Andrea says
Thanks Jen– I watched that season finally and must have missed that line! It’s funny that we’re learning life lessons from The Office 🙂
Roxanne says
This is so true! I’m such a forward-thinker like you… sometimes I have to literally tell myself to slow down and take in the moment (more so especially since I had my first baby a couple of months ago- people aren’t kidding when they say the time flies by!)
My parents get their portrait taken at every milestone birthday so that whenever the next major birthday comes along they can look back at their picture and talk about how “young” they were 🙂
Diane says
That is one adorable picture of your daughter!
Maria says
Thanks for the reminder, Andrea; as someone already mentioned, you are definitely wise beyond your years. Beautiful picture of Nora! Looks like you’ll have many happy memories to reflect upon.
Some days we run on auto pilot and zip through the day without really appreciating the many blessings we already have, and before you know it, years have gone by and you long for the “Good Old Days”, even though the days were hectic and as you mentioned, sometimes mundane. However, if you have time to step back and reflect, it is good to examine your priorities and remember that:
“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is God’s gift, that’s why we call it the present.”
(I read this somewhere, but I’m not sure who the author is). Have a very Happy Birthday!
Ann says
We fail to realize the BLESSINGS of today, don’t we? One time I read that a mother with a child in the hospital just longed for a normal evening of the family all together at the supper table. Just a longing for …life to be normal again! Let us cherish our family & the present each day!
JoAnn C. says
There is something about some of your posts where a song will pop into my head. When I read the title of today’s post I thought Carly Simon, …these are the good old days…” But as I read further I began to think of Jimmy Buffet’s song called Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes. In it are some of my favorite lyrics, (I will paraphrased here), “…yesterdays are over my shoulder, so I can’t look back for too long there’s just too much to see waiting in front of me and I know that I just can’t go wrong…” I always took that to mean: learn from the past, live in the moment, and look forward to tomorrow with an open heart and mind.
A very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you Andrea, and many happy returns.
JoAnn
Charmaine says
Thanks for the reminder, it has helpful and meaningful.
Dena says
I always marvel at how wise you are for being so young. (I’m 58). You are doing a great job with your blog and Nora.
Katie @ I Stay Home For This says
So very true!! My grandma gave me this same advice when my daughter was a baby and it really stuck with me. My grandma told me to try and enjoy it even when it’s hard because, one day, when I am old like her (her words, not mine) that these would be the days that I sit around and reminisce about.