Giving Back My Blessings

Friends of my daughter have complimented me
On the woman that she has become.
I answer them quite honestly that I only had
Sense enough to leave her and her calling alone.
She heard a more powerful voice than I ever had.

Her grandmother, who died as the babe grew in my womb,
Must have imparted her spirit to her grandchild,
And the fierce will that her grandmother possessed
Guided her through daughter, wife, and motherhood.
I'm humbled to have been chosen to nurture this special gift.

Her daughters are brought up to be mighty women;
What great seekers of earthly justice they can be!
How blessed I am that their mother has kept the faith,
And has continued to be true to the calling she was given.
Example and protection being what parents are meant to do.

 I have come through the darkest night of my soul,
When I feared my daughter's motherhood may be cut short.
I became greedy to hear her values so that I could stand in her stead.
I am so very grateful that she has lived to accomplish her goals,
Something that her grandmother was sadly unable to do.

There is nothing to replace a sense of mission in our lives;
There is not enough entertainment or life's drama.
For everyone there is a calling, whether we hear it or not.
If we ask ourselves daily how can we best serve,
We will find many ways to give back our blessings.

My children embody of all the special in their ancestors;
They are strong, generous, and kind as people and parents.
I never felt that they were given to me as gifts to keep,
Only spirits that were lent to me that I must safeguard.
I give back now by allowing them to truly fly on their own.

Mirrors of My Soul

My oldest granddaughter is almost eighteen;
In many cultures she'd already be married.
Thankfully, she lives in a country that allows
Her freedom to become her full self.

She has always had a head for numbers,
And she plans to become an engineer.
How wonderful that she is not yet limited
By the constant needs of her own family.

I don't know how today's families do it,
Juggling their careers and relationships.
I know that the couples have made changes
In terms of strict lines of gender roles.

Many is the husband who cooks the meals,
And the wife that earns the larger paycheck.
The work of the partners needs to be done;
It matters not who has the talent for each task.

Where my granddaughter will go from here,
And what path she will ultimately take,
My prayer for her is that she finds a partner
Who is equal in strength to her original home.

I hope she also finds kindness and laughter,
The kind of laughter that opens the soul.
And, if she should decide to become a mother,
That her children will be blessings to the world.

For she has been such a blessing to me,
As was her wonderful mother before her.
How little would I have accomplished in life
Without these young women to mirror my soul!