Becoming a grandparent has been the most exhilarating and humbling experience of this phase of my life. Our two sons became fathers three days apart. Their little ones, now 10 1/2 months old, embolden me to reflect on who I am and encourage me to become a better person, to do what I can to make the world a safe, healthy and loving place for them to grow up in. Today's poem is for them.
promise
oh babies,
i want to promise
you everything
that we'll protect you
from everything
that no matter what
we'll be
here for you
but i know better
when your fathers
were young
i believed
i could protect them
from everything
i had no idea
that i couldn't
even protect them
from myself
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Oooh, that final line cuts deep. A powerful poem.
ReplyDeleteThank you Elisabeth. Parenting is the most challenging task we take on I think, so it's inevitable we will screw up now and then.
DeleteEvery mother's and grandmother's wish, and we do our best, but the world intervenes, too, doesn't it? Well said, Cheriee. They are quite darling!
ReplyDeleteThey really are! Yes, one of my friends says, "Our children do well in spite of us."
DeleteThanks for linking me to this! Parenting isn't for the faint of heart, that's for sure!
ReplyDelete