Because I need a bit of a boost
I have been having a series of days in which the joys of motherhood have remained quite stubbornly on the other side of the fence. It has been exhausting. A trial. Dare I say, unrewarding? Days with very little in the way of short-term payoff. I need to remind myself that if the cliche “It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon” applies to any endeavor, it applies to parenting. This isn’t about today. It’s about the long, long road I need to walk these boys down, the slow growth into manhood. These boys will be men one day, and let’s be honest: though they very clearly have their own little spirits, will be their own men, they will also enter adulthood with a bag full of gifts they got from me. So because it’s been rough, I’m patting myself on the back today.
This Time The Mother Writes a Poem For Herself
I am golden glitter and Elmer’s glue
and big blue stars on construction paper.
I am thick magic markers on the blank page.
I am beads and bangles, scissors and glue
and autumn-leaves-and pipe-cleaner bouquets.
I am popsicle stick castles and bobbing for apples
and popcorn garnish for the tree.
I am the walk in the park and the bread for the ducks
and the acorn that started to sprout.
I am the stick boat in the creek and the sand in the box
and the lemonade stand on the side of the road.
I am all of the childhood days you will likely forget
but the smell of Elmer’s glue will make you smile
and you will always be partial to blue stars
and you will know how an acorn turns into a tree.
And I will know that I am this,
that I am this and this and this.
4 Responses to “Because I need a bit of a boost”
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This was a beautiful poem! And obviously since you wrote it you recognize deep down, that despite the unrewarding phases and the days when you feel like you’re spinning your wheels, that you’re still doing the most important job in the world! And judging by the list of activities you mention you’re doing a great job raising two wonderful, well-rounded little human beings!
I needed that today.
You’re a terrific writer, really.
And you deserve much more than a pat on the back. You are doing a fantastic job and I am often humble comparing the importance of what you do during your day with what I am doing in my work. Yours will be remembered for a long time while any regular job is forgotten so quickly.
Thank you for all the things that you do
R
Thanks for the nice words.
Betsy – I don’t want to make myself look better than I am – just because it’s in the poem doesn’t mean I necessarily do it. For example, I would rather scoop my eyes out with a spoon than have anything to do with a lemonade stand!