My Cherished Child

As a parent, there are moments when you recognize that your relationship with your child has undergone a seismic shift. This was one of those moments, for me.

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Today, as I watched your rite of passage,

amidst the pomp, tradition, and pride,

I was seized by the hand of nostalgia,

and I saw your life in my mind slide by slide.

The day you were born; your first pair of shoes;

Oscar the Grouch; and the terrible twos.

Your first day of school; your last day at home;

your childish laughter;  and your teenage moans.

I thought of the way you looked at the world,

from your first day of life, it seems,

as a puzzle to solve, a dare to accept,  

and a place to manifest dreams.

I relived our closeness when I was your world,

and I remembered the pain of you breaking away. When your childlike sweetness could not mitigate my fear of the battles we fought night and day.

There were long days when I did not recognize

the child I'd born into this world.

Days when the only communications we shared

were dirty looks and ugly words.

But eventually, out of that adolescent anger,

I saw a young woman begin to take form.

It was like watching a beautiful rainbow appear

at the end of a violent storm.

Then, all of a sudden it became clear to me,

In a sort of epiphany,

that this newly emerging young woman

had many lessons she could teach me.

And as I've watched you go after your life,

willing to walk through all your fear,

I began to see the world differently,

and the illusions I held became clear.

You taught me that life is not about safety,

nor about trying to outrun fear, 

That we cannot live our lives fully

without shedding some well-earned tears.

You taught me the value of taking risks.

And the importance of reaching for stars.

That the rewards of knowing we tried,

are worth the worst of our battle scars. I learned from you that joy and delight

can reside among the mundane;

And if we look closely, we can find joy

side by side with heartache and pain.

So on this day, your rite of passage,

as I remember your life slide by slide,

as I watch you enter adulthood,

and my heart is brimming with pride,

I want to tell you from the day you were born

your heart and mine have been aligned.

And, my cherished child, each day of your life,

I have thanked God for making you mine.

By Linda Troxell

From: United States

Website: https://humblyseekingthelordblog.com

Facebook URL: facebook.com/linda.troxell