So many things
Missing from today
Your smiling eyes
Listening as we sing
Happy Birthday to you!
Hearing your most sincere
Thank you, I love you –
But mostly, I’m just missing you
Today would have been Dad’s 80th birthday. We love and miss him so much! But remembering his life makes us smile. 💙
The dense morning haze
Weighed heavy on my
Foggy morning brain
Forcing sad thoughts
To the surface-
No way around
Muddling through
The middle would
Have to do
The haze gave way
To mid-morning layers
Of grays and whites
Overlapping, continually
Trading places until
Swaths of baby blue
Smiled through the gaps–
And with no hesitation
I smiled back
Sometimes we all need a reminder of our many reasons for smiling. Time with family is one of my favorite reasons. 💗
Relief, joy, calm
Emotions experienced
In different measure
At the births of
Our three children –
Circumstances varied greatly
Each one a miracle-
Whether feeling
Relief, joy, or calm
Thankfulness covered us
Like a warm blanket –
And each miraculous time
Love was the binding
That wrapped each stitch
The gentle hand
That collected each tear
While changing each diaper
Our children know their stories. They’ve heard them more than once. And they know each other’s stories. If asked, they could choose which emotion most closely matches their birth. They are also the best at describing each other’s personalities.
I’m thankful they call me Mom. ❤️
I am looking forward to spending this long holiday weekend with Mom. I am certain we will go out for lunch and to Starbucks. Oh, and probably eat ice cream. 😉 Where we go and what we do isn’t the point though. The point is spending time.
Being back where I grew up allows me time for reflecting. And in those reflections, new memories are added. With that in mind, I decided to re-share two poems I wrote several years ago.
Happy Independence Day!
Grandma and Grandpa
Lived next door
Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins
Numbering in double digits
Big kids played
With little kids
Running and laughing
Growing stronger
And bigger with
Each passing year
An unspoken truth
That no matter
How far I fell
Someone would catch me-
Like a little child
Bouncing on a knee
Ride a little horsey
Don’t fall down-
A truth that remains
Despite passing time
And increasing distance-
A living safety net
Interwoven from one
Generation to the next
He worked hard
His entire life
Married young
Raised nine kids
In the country
Strong and stubborn
Loved to laugh
Mellowed over time-
Without a doubt
Dealt with struggles
That I never knew-
I still see him
On the porch
In his overalls
After a long day
Promising to dance
At my wedding
If I will check the mail-
Liked to argue
Loved his family
Was always ready
To welcome them home-
Looking forward to
Family gathering later
That very day-
But in the morning
While everyone slept
After waking early
And making the coffee
He sat down in his
Favorite chair
At the young age of sixty-seven
Grandpa died on the Fourth of July
It is sometimes difficult to slow down in our busy world. Phrases like Just Breathe and Smell the Roses are commonly shared. Easy to say. I hesitate to offer similar advice. And certainly don’t suggest missing an event by trying to capture every moment. But when something catches your eye or your heart, it’s okay to stop and take the picture. 📸
Ideas and actions
Some good
Some not so good
Often designed
To bring fame
Even if only
Fifteen minutes worth
Fifteen minutes
Or a lifetime
Eventually, the attention
Rings hollow-
I used to think
I’d like to be a rockstar
Wearing rockstar clothes
Playing piano on stage
But now, I’m grateful
That I get to be
A friend
An encourager
Someone who cries
During sad movies
And laughs at
Her husband’s jokes-
Someone who plays piano
Singing a simple song
Smiling as her granddaughter
Stands nearby swaying
Back and forth to the music…
Looking at me now
You might not guess
Where I come from
Sometimes, I even forget
But today, I choose
To remember
I come from
Climbing trees
Digging in the dirt
Making mud pies
Walking down the
Tree-lined gravel road
Leading away from home
While hearing
Don’t go past the red clay hill!
I choose to remember
Loving this place
That held my life
In love and security
Loving this place so much
When the time came to leave
I was ready to go
Not to run away
But to continue
Walking down the
Tree-lined gravel road
This time, hearing
Come back soon!
As I passed the
Red Clay Hill
Taking home
Along with me
For the journey
Sharing one of the poems I wrote in a recent poetry circle. Many thanks to Ali Grimshaw https://flashlightbatteries.blog/ for sharing her heart and creating such a beautiful space. ❤️
A recording of
Ocean waves
Playing
On one side
An actual bird
Outside
The window
Chirping
Good night!
You and me
Me and you
Sitting quietly
In the middle
Gently rocking
The weight
Of my world
Gradually easing
With the increase
Of your sweet sleep
Rocking our granddaughter offers time for reflecting. I often think about how my parents felt when their grandchildren were babies. Which, of course, reminds me how much I miss Dad. And even though I wish he could have met Emi, I am so thankful for his influence on my children.
What a joy. Witnessing my dad, my husband, and my son be loving fathers. I do not take it for granted and will be forever grateful for their examples. Happy Father’s Day! ❤️
Nothing fancy
No gourmet recipe
This batch was not
As fluffy as I’d
Have preferred
Then again, I haven’t
Made them in
Quite some time
Still, there’s something
Sweet in the making
And in the sharing
A Saturday morning
Family tradition
For many years
Before I even realized
It was a tradition
But the kids knew
They sensed security
In such a simple thing
And for that
I am grateful-
This batch may not
Have been my best
Let’s face it, it wasn’t
But my little granddaughter
Ate them up just like
Her dad, her aunt,
And her uncle used to do
Every now and then
A sweet moment
Becomes an instant
Replay of the past
Even if not initially
Recognized as such-
A smile captured
Awakening a
Recollection
Prompting a search-
A search for
An image from
Another time
That when placed
Beside the new
Allows past and present
To share smiles
And sweet joy
Cherishing a
Precious treasure
Handmade with love
Piano Girl 