Every cliche about kids is true; they grow up so quickly, you

In the words of Liam Neeson, we hear a truth that pierces both the heart and the memory: “Every cliché about kids is true; they grow up so quickly, you blink and they’re gone, and you have to spend the time with them now. But that’s a joy.” Though he calls it a cliché, it is a truth so ancient and universal that it has been spoken and repeated across all generations. It is not repetition that weakens it, but repetition that proves it: the swiftness of childhood, the fleeting nature of innocence, and the sacred duty of the present moment.

The first wisdom in Neeson’s words is about the passage of time. Childhood is a river that rushes forward; it does not pause for those who are busy, distracted, or absent. The infant who clings to you today will soon walk, the child who plays at your side will soon seek the company of others, and before you realize it, the young one has become an adult. Parents often marvel, “Where did the years go?” And Neeson’s words echo the sorrow and wonder of that realization: it happens in the blink of an eye.

The ancients knew this truth. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus declared that one cannot step into the same river twice, for it is always flowing, always changing. So too with children: they are never the same from one day to the next. The toddler of today will never return once he has become the boy of tomorrow. Thus, the wise do not wait to cherish, but seize the present, knowing that once it has passed, it cannot be reclaimed.

There are many stories that prove this, but consider the life of Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor and philosopher. Though burdened with the weight of ruling the empire, he wrote in his Meditations of the tenderness he felt for his children, and the grief he bore at their early deaths. His writings reveal a man who knew both the joy of their presence and the sorrow of their absence. He reminds us, as Neeson does, that the time with our children must be embraced now, for no power, not even imperial, can restore it once lost.

Yet Neeson’s words are not meant to stir only sorrow—they carry also the flame of joy. For to spend time with one’s children is not merely a duty, it is one of life’s deepest delights. To watch them grow, to laugh with them, to guide them with stories and affection—these are treasures greater than wealth or renown. Many seek glory in distant places, yet the wise know that true joy sits at their own table, waiting to be shared.

The lesson for us is clear: let no day pass without giving your presence to those you love. Do not say, “Tomorrow I will spend more time,” for tomorrow may arrive too late. Children do not measure love in gifts or achievements, but in attention, in the hours given freely, in the moments of laughter and comfort. To be with them is not wasted time, but the very essence of what it means to live well.

Practical actions flow like water from this teaching. Put aside distractions when your child speaks. Create rituals of togetherness—meals, stories, walks—that become the anchors of memory. Mark the passing years not with regret but with intentional presence. And above all, rejoice in the fleeting nature of these moments, for it is their brevity that makes them precious.

Thus, let the voice of Liam Neeson echo across generations: the clichés about children are true. They grow, they change, they slip from our hands like sand. But in embracing them now, in cherishing the fleeting days, we discover not sorrow but profound joy. And that joy, once lived, becomes eternal in the memory of both parent and child.