So quick to clean up the "artwork"

I know I still have catching up to do about our California trip, but I haven't gotten around to doing it yet. It's been a bit of a roller coaster ride lately with my mental and physical health. Guess when I figure out what's going on, I'll be more willing to spill about it later.

My mom said something that was really profound to me recently. The day before we left her house after a long stay, I was helping clean the living room after putting Ethan to bed and when I closed the window blinds, I found Ethan had decided to become an artist that day with multiple crayons on my mom's white windowsill. I profusely apologized and said I'd clean it up and my mom quickly said "no! leave it" and then explained to me how when we are young mothers and have children in the house, we can't wait to take a rag to those marks on the wall or sticky prints on the table. we're so quick to clean up the messes. But when the kids are all grown and gone, those sticky handprints and colorful "artwork" from crayons, markers, pencils, pens... you name it, become beloved and most cherished and grandmothers seem to be slow to clean those memories up. So why is it that we young moms are so quick to clean up those memories and not "cherish" those moments? I am still wondering that as just this morning I scrubbed off the lovely artwork from a green crayon all over my computer desk. Though I will admit that there's still crayon marks from months ago on the inside of my driver's side door in my car. I do think about cleaning it every time I see it though, just guess the cleaning supplies are too far away for me to remember in the moment. But the "artwork" does make me smile sometimes.