www, Mom, that is so babyish. I don’t wear pink anymore.” My daughter could barely contain her contempt for a shirt I offered for her inspection as we shopped for back-to-school.

Hmmm … I must have missed the memo. Just yesterday, it seemed, my daughter was thrilled with girly outfits. She couldn’t get enough of pink and princesses and pigtails! Who was this alien child? And what did she do with my little girl?! I wasn’t done with her yet!

Moments like this remind me how quickly life passes. Busy days go by without notice — and soon become months and years. I know I can’t freeze time. Kids grow up. Change is inevitable. What keeps me up at night is what I’ve missed along the way.

You see, I spent too many years earning my Doctorate in Doing. As a scholar in busyness, I can tell you this: over-commitment is the enemy of relationship. A frenzied pace doesn’t allow for unhurried moments with children, intimacy with one’s spouse or the silence needed to hear God’s leading. And God’s opportunities elude us when we pass them at warp speed.

Psalm 46:10 urges us to “Be still and know that I am God.” He alone can help us calm our cluttered minds and reestablish our priorities. There’s no time to lose. Pigtailed princesses don’t stick around long.