now
I know the UPS guy
and who my
mail carrier is
and who works the
day shift
at the local market
and
how it is to sit
in a pediatricians office with a sick child
or wait
out a fever in the middle of the night
or wonder
if that cut needs stitches

now
i can say I've
experienced
the joy of
an infant smiling just for me
the excitement of
watching you learn to ride a bike
the wonder of
a smile spreading across your face
when things are going just right
and I've had to learn to let you go
and trust you will make good choices
even though it fills my heart with worry

now
I day dream
about brides and grooms
grandchildren
careers
the future
and how things
might turn out for you
if you will be happy
if when you are old
you will look back and say
I've lived a good life
that is now

then
what did i used to do then.....
seems so long ago
I can hardly remember
who I was then
I am so completely
somewhere else and
someone else now

(Mom)