Friday, July 6, 2012

Painful Parenting



So many have told me, "I accepted only the wisdom
That we were taught in the Baltimore Catechism."
The worst part of the experience is that we were treated as fools;
Because we were so innocent, we believed in the rules.

My parents taught us that it was the spirit of the faith
That guided the actions of the whole human race.
How horrible it must have been for my parents to see
That their faith and Christianity would never agree.

Every bishop's letter read in the church of my childhood
Was thought to be God's word on evil and good.
We weren't even permitted to read the bible verse.
Was it that we may see that these rules were perverse?

I was brainwashed, even before my birth, to feel  shame.
How can a newborn baby be held, for sin, to blame?
Here I am, as an adult, who spent my life in remorse,
Believing that I needed priests to control my life's course.

How can they teach us that we are sinners before birth,
And still preach that their Christ redeemed the whole universe?
I will no longer accept that my ancestors gave to me
The sins of their ancestors; by their savior, they were freed.

It matters not if I believe Jesus was full Divinity;
He certainly had more Holy Spirit than what was given to me.
I wish I knew more about his mother's life on earth;
Perhaps it would give my mothering spirit a rebirth.

And what of her poor Joseph, who could hardly protect her
From the cross she would bear, as many would reject her?
To be the guardians of such a great spiritual force
Surely would have lead many couples to divorce.

Along the way they were given many choices;
They chose not to ignore their own spiritual voices.
Did Jesus really attend rabbinical school 
And did his earthly father teach him about tools?

Where are the stories of how to successfully parent
The souls that a special powerful Spirit were sent?
To know when to hold on and when to allow freedom
Helping mold the adults that they will become.

And where are the accounts of the tender moments
That surely Mary and Joseph had to have spent?
Did they know his mission or worry incessantly
About the special person that was their baby?

These are the parenting stories I wish I knew
How did Jesus's parents make it through?
How did they handle their own empty nest
Did knowing his mission make it hurt any less?