You have these moments, as a mother and as a daughter, when the reality of time just takes your breath away. Last week, I had one of those moments, when I realized, with sudden overwhelming and painful clarity, that my little girl is growing up.

It's when I snapped this picture with my iPhone when we were shopping at Southpoint in Durham, a place my Canadian relatives love to death. Prettiest mall ever, they exclaim.  The lady in the picture is Mary, my darling mother-in-law, and I have always thought it's delightful that she fits neatly under my chin when I hug her. I am one of those very fortunate daughters-in-law who have a fantastic relationship with my MIL. She makes me laugh, she drinks good wine, she cooks like a dream, she comes to my house and folds my laundry (she folds my laundry, people!) and she loves her granddaughter. She says "eh" a lot, although she doesn't really realize that, so don't tell her, OK? She also struggles with an uncooperative hip (just like me) and the usual irritations that come with aging and she says, "Getting old stinks, eh, Brenda?"

When I saw the image of the two of them, I had one of those melting mommy moments. Ohmigosh, just look! Erin is as tall as her grandmother. She's growing up. She's not my little baby any more. I mean, look at the size of those feet. She's wearing 7.5s. Her long legs and arms are always in the way. She wears a bikini to the pool, prompting one of our favorite guys in the neighborhood to gruffly comment, "This isn't right. This isn't good" when he sees her there. She's constantly texting her friends. She builds her own websites and makes her own crazy movies with her pal. She plays volleyball. She argues over silly things as she asserts her independence. She's so darn cute one minute and the next minute, you want to, well, you know, put her in a box on the porch with a big sign on it that says, "free to a good home." C'mon, you know what I'm saying. If you have a 12-year-old girl, you've thought that more than once, too.

This is usually when the sentimental tears start rolling, when I realize she's growing up so fast, but now that I'm back at the office, I'll hold them off until I get home and hug her. That's when I'll cry. And she'll say, "Oh, mom, are you crying again? Is it because I'm getting older?"

Yes, Erin. That's exactly right. It's because you're getting older and, every year, that gets harder for me.

brenda