The Parent Challenge
what a challenge a parent takes on
when they take off the gift wrapping
and open the box of a child,
all those many pieces,
and any instruction manual
doesn't seem to fit the actual pieces in your hand,
love often gives you the work-around,
our niece visits with her four children,
aged five to fourteen,
the oldest a boy, the other three girls,
we are amazed at the mother,
a short order cook taking care
of each variation of "the usual,"
enforcing rules that chafe the ego-centric first take,
demanding the larger view over zero-sum competition,
maintaining a sense of humor and of grace,
even when the situation shouts for anger,
my wife and I are in awe
of the wonder that is birthing in the kids,
of the wonder of the mother midwifing it all.
by Henry H. Walker
7/29/24
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