parenting

The role of a lifetime

I used to feel FOMO
When I was at home
With a newborn
Watching everyone around me
Going about their lives,
Being productive,
Going on adventures,
Enjoying their freedom.

Little did I know that those
Tired newborn days
Was the most important role
I would ever play.

I was making sure my baby
Would thrive and have the best start.
And now I see the foundation was laid.

Not only are my daughters healthy,
They are loved and accepted
And given freedom to explore
And express who they are,
Who they want to be,
With unconditional 
Love and acceptance.

My role continues but has evolved.
Our nest is our cozy little home
Where they dream and play;
Where the yard is a center point,
A meeting place, a magical space.

And I marvel at their growth,
Proud and grateful to embody
This role I’m now in.
abundance

Open the window to love

When I open the window to love,
I let in more than just
fresh air or a better view.
There is love in the air.

A love of autumn
Bright, true colors shine through
Surrounded by the abundance of harvest.
Juicy apples and round pumpkins
to delight with flavor and
possibility.

The aromas, the sights, the sounds
of squirrels skittering and kicking
up brush, a treasure in its mouth.
It is survival instinct
to save for a cold winter's day.

I take a mental note and
decide to write what I'm grateful for
to reread for myself on a hard, cold day.

The harvest full moon rose last night
and I watched it take its usual
path across the night's sky.
In my mind's eye, 
I am looking at its face
as it kisses me across the cheek.

Such wisdom and stories it holds.

self-care

The Unexpected Delight

After morning yoga.
After I’ve rearranged the furniture.
I’ve cleared out space
mental and physical.

I welcome the movement, the sighs, the popping joints, 
the twists, the surprising strength.
The mental games that try to
take me away from the moment.

When I arrive in my mind and body, 
I find soul full awareness.

I am grateful for this body.
For the time carved out just for me.
There is no shame
as my strong thighs hold me upright.

The meanness of cultural norms in
what a pose should look like
what a body should look like.
I honorably greet both ends of the spectrum
and invite a small smile to my lips as I inhale
and clear out the mental clutter once more.

The morning birds are making loud short bursts 
even through the soft rain.
They too must meet their needs
and feed that hunger.

It feeds my soul and theirs 
to find a shared delight at another
glorious day to be on this earth.
To occupy the same space.
Breathe the same air
and each feel free in our own way.

Free from shame.
Free from stiffness and aches.
Feeling strong and in flight as I move my body
just like the little birds outside my window. 
We may not see the sun today
but we each welcome its arrival when it greets us once again.
Creative Fiction

The lives that dream beyond the window pane

The lives that dream beyond the window pane
a glimpse into the soul
but I can never surmise what is really there.

I see a middle-aged woman bending over
is she too old and unable to stand upright?
Does she use a cane or a walker?
Is she always carrying a heavy load along with a heavy heart?

She is bending over to what I can’t see. I am curious about her life. Does she suffer? Did she ever feel pride and proud of her accomplishments?

I can wonder and assume. I find that I transpose my feelings as if we share one heart, one life, one soul. But the story is not mine.

She is bent way down and I can just see the top of her grayish hair pulled into a high bun on her head. What mysteries lay out of my sight.

Now she moves. She is standing once more. Her arms are full with the warm embrace of a child that she lifts up so they can talk and see each other eye to eye.

The child and the woman are smiling and the woman starts swaying a gentle dance. Is there music? Is there song?

Her eyes and face are bright. She no longer seems bent over, weak and worn. She is full of life with the sweet babe who lights her soul and mine as I continue to pass on my way.

A smile on my face that she is not suffering nor am I. The world is lovely and has tender moments and I’m grateful to be the silent witness of this loving magic that fills the air.