Last Times

How often do we celebrate the last time we do something? How often does it pass us by?
This all started with something Ian had been discussing with other climbing instructors but feel it was a bit of a God prompt.
Since him coming home with that things have changed greatly in our lives what with Tabi deciding to go to college so home ed has come to an abrupt end, to Ben deciding not to continue with college and get a job - sort of making him grown up, or at least in the tax paying world. Added to that the fact that Ian and I are being more and more drawn into things here in our town from hooking up more and more with a congregation here to him getting work with people in our town. But have we remembered that last time things.
Oh every time we go on holiday the 4 of us Ian and I at least look at it as though this could be the last time both Ben and Tabi want to come with us. In fact even trips surfing and birthdays together can be looked at often as "this could be the last one". In fact Ben is talking of going skiing for his birthday next year. But even though we wondered on the last one if that was the last we were actually afraid to voice it, like with the holidays because even though it could be the last we sort of hope it won't be.
There are things with Tabi suddenly deciding to go to college that we will never be able to acknowledge that they were the last of ... like the social group meeting which stopped suddenly as once we didn't have the car, then she got involved with helping with this riding stable, and now we just aren't going; the indoor swimming pool trips which change to an outdoor pool around May time which of course at the time we planned to go back to; the debating which finished about 6 weeks ago and couldn't fit in one this month due to people starting to have holidays; this isn't home school related but I realized I missed that last time I read a story to my kids; - though there are many other things that as yet are not the last times but we always, I feel, need to be holding each moment as if it was the last time, treasuring it.
Oh we could be melancholy but that would be so wrong. We need to rejoice and be glad and just cherish each precious moment, and possible even with our teens cherish those aggressive pushes for independence that so hurt but are so important.
I am going to try to learn to cherish each moment and really live each day in that Glory that God means us to - that fullness of life that Jesus spoke of.