Reasons...

July 2002:  Matthew, age twenty months.

 Beyond anything the human mind comprehends,

Further than any great distance covered,

I awake each morning: rise, prepare

for another exhausting day of mothering.

June 2004:  Andrew, age fourteen months. 

And yet, without reservations, without hesitation,

I would (and) do it all,

again and again; day in, out

for all the millions of reasons

every other mother does what's necessary.

October 2008:  Joshua, age eighteen months. 

Our relentless love for our children,

and the light in their eyes,

as they experience a precious moment.

That light goes against all reason...

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Five for Five: Listening

Listening to your three rambunctious children

shouting their goodnight's and love you's,

whispering in bed instead of sleeping,

the sounds of their cascading giggles,

is a beautiful lullaby for mothers,

and one I would not trade

for any golden treasure on Earth.

Over

Your protective hand over my fragile one

Makes me remember that I'm loved

and that I can accomplish anything.

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Return

Like a boomerang,

you always return.

I am complete.

My heart full.

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Wishing all of my readers a very Blessed Easter and Passover!

Offering...

A tiny flower, a gentle heart.

His muddy hand carefully cradles

the delicate lace of purple petals.

My youngest son's eyes eagerly await

the smile that curls my lips.

I  whisper "thank you" to the Universe:

for him and his joyous offering.

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Spring...

Break. Alone. Away.

Food. Wine. Snow.

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Bare...

As I always am with you.

No pretenses, no barriers, no secrets.

Always lovingly accepted with no disguise.

I cannot imagine any other way

to know a lover, kindred spirit

in this masquerade the world holds,

each day of our complicated lives.

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Chat...

Our children busy, wrapped in imagination.

Breakfast dishes littering the kitchen table.

You and I, two coffee cups.

The aroma entices us to awaken;

a truth serum for the weary.

Long forgotten antidotes, reminders of events.

Our past, present and future whispered;

treasured on this rare, quiet morning.

My hopes spoken, worries finally revealed

to my faithful confidant, secret keeper.

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Share

A very well deserved getaway, alone.

The last slice of adult pizza.

A stolen moment of longing, silence.

The seemingly insurmountable grief of loss.

The joy of seeing our kids.

The worry of parenting the kids.

The very last crumbs of tiramisu.

With you, sharing is not optional.

That is just fine with me.

There is no one who shares

quite as well as you do

all of life's joys and sorrows,

as well as favorite culinary delights;

the warm comforters on cold nights.

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Lost and found...

Whenever I am seemingly, hopelessly lost,

You are there to find me.

You, inevitably, with a knowing smile;

rescue me; categorically lost; forever grateful;

in my own sea of imperfection.

You still are the shining beacon

that safely lights the way back.

Lost something and found something along the way?  Visit Melissa and find out more about Six Word Fridays.

Looking forward...

Dark days are finally behind us.

And I am looking forward to:

holding your hand through this life,

sharing quiet moments alone, however scarce,

watching sunrises, sunsets, counting shooting stars,

knowing that you love me still.

Learn more about Six Word Fridays by visiting Melissa's blog!

Heart's Focus

After sixteen years, what was fuzzy

is now clear, without question, unmistakable.

The life we have built together.

Our solid commitment to each other,

the upkeep of our family garden;

the weeding out of what's damaging,

the cultivating of memories that flourish

within our minds, hearts and souls.

You are my heart's sharp lens.

You focus me on the importance

of the legacy we will leave

for the magnificent men they will become.

The lens in which I always

look through to gauge the truth

resides within my ever faithful heart.

And only you hold the key.

What do you focus on?  Visit Melissa and Six Words Fridays to find out more...

The story of us...





Our story: a work in progress.


Once upon a time, long ago.


In the here and now: nonfiction.


A new chapter with every morning.


Happily ever after, befitting of us.

December 2010: 15 years later, the story is getting more interesting...

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Better half...

In the wee hours, impending adversity.

You held my hand, silently praying

for the impossible miracle that came.

Your warm lips on my forehead

were all the strength I needed.

Then and now. Always and forever.

You. My rock. My love. Evermore.

The only one I see across

a crowded room of friends, strangers.

The one who still makes me

catch my breath, still my heart.

In the moments of inevitable weakness,

your strong hands lift me above

whatever clouds my mind, heart, soul.

In the moments of incessant insanity

that life with three boys brings,

our eyes meet, knowing that life;

our life, is full. Of love. Of joy.

Our life: perfect in its imperfection.

Twenty years have not clouded us.

Marriage, parenthood: challenges to strengthen us..

You. The perfection in my imperfection.

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Love's Threads

Love's taken many forms for me:

My little sister's hand in mine,

her adult shoulder to cry on.

A handsome, green eyed young man

who now likes to disguise himself

as a nearing middle-age, graying father.

Three newborn baby boys, so tiny;

now parade as strapping young men.

I've caught a glimpse of Love,

it's ever changing forms and stories.

And I am grateful for how

Love's silken threads have carefully embroidered

the tapestry of this: my life.

Loved?  In love?  Share with us!  Visit Melissa at Making Things Up for more on Six Word Fridays!

If things had been different...

If we had not met then,

would we have this wondrous life?

Would fate have intervened; righted wrongs?

Set us back onto the path

that led us to one another?

Would I still marvel at us?

Look at your smiling, unchanging face,

and still see you at seventeen,

rather than the crinkles that outline

the storming ocean-colored eyes I love?

Would we have these three boys,

that exhaust our energies, rejuvenate us;

remind of us promises made, kept?

If we had taken different paths,

would they have met here, right now?

Would we know how love's perseverance

has lined every day, every year?

And how truly fortunate we are,

that our "what if's" are reality;

the stuff dreams are made of.

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Near-sighted

I am one in a family.

A family of severely myopic people.

The glasses sit upon my nose;

they've been there over thirty years.

They make the blobs of faraway

become beloved people, places I recognize.

The pair of glasses I most covet

are the ones that would focus

the unrecognizable, unknown days of tomorrow.

I wonder when those mysterious images

will become clear in my own heart.

I wonder how I will move

past the yesterday, through the today,

into that still fuzzy, undefined tomorrow.

Will the family curse of nearsightedness

keep me from looking ahead, anticipating;

from looking back, treasuring while reminiscing?

And will I need my glasses

to see what my heart sees

so clearly today? I hope not.

Near or far?  What makes you squint?  Visit Making Things Up to learn more about Six Word Fridays...

Charmed...

At first glance, it may seem

that the life I lead today

is the one I've always lived.

The moments that caused many tears

are those that now gleam beautifully.

Those charms on my life's bracelet

are the ones I can talk about

and measure how far I've come

from those days of endless sadness.

Those charms on my bracelet gleam,

cleansed from ever being overlooked, disregarded.

My love, my boys, my family.

These exquisite charms; priceless, delicate, breath-taking,

always make me feel as though

this is the enchanted, wonderful life

I was always meant to live.

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Counting my blessings...

When I look at the images

that chronicle my life so far,

my heart full as I count

the blessings with ten fingers, toes.

Three strapping sons, two adorable nieces,

a new baby on the way

to add to this full list.

So, each day, I carefully count.

Each day, I call their names.

Grateful they are my glorious treasures.

Matthew, Andrew, Joshua, Alexandra, and Allison.

Awaiting a new niece or nephew,

witnessing the start of another family,

another already loved blessing to join

this giggle-ly, wiggly chorus of happiness;

the children of our blessed family.

Want to count with us?  Visit Melissa at Making Things Up for more on Six Word Fridays!

First love

My first love comes home daily,

is greeted by three rambunctious boys.

He writes love letters, folds laundry.

My first love can do anything;

handles any crisis with efficient calm,

packs lunches for his sleepy boys.

His smile awakes his tired wife;

because of him, she is invincible.

His mischievous green eyes still crinkle

in laughter, in amusement, in delight.

Those bewitching green eyes still smile

when I walk into the room.

They still see me as I was,

love me for who I've become.

Got a first you want to talk about?  Want to learn more about Six Word Fridays?  Visit Melissa at Making Things Up.