7 years old

when i first meet people
they sometimes say to me
you work with parents
parenting must be easy for you
i laugh

at one time it was
when my son was little
before all that s-t-r-e-s-s
parenting was easy-n-free
i only saw the best in my son
and we worked through problems +challenges
from our place of strength + goodness

then life happened
and our connection
ruptured
before my eyes
patience out the window
no longer did i long
to sit on the floor
and play
my days away
i longed for time alone
to heal
to get to the other side
stronger than ever

today
a different day
not like it was when he was a baby
nor like it was for that year
times have changed
better than ever

alisha photo

​


everyday 
i do my best to remember
my baby boy
my little bugaboo
is still inside of him
and that mother
who loves unconditionally
is still inside of me

---

but now he has homework + chores
and i'm called everyday
to be strong for him
compassionate + assertive
to be the mom and the dad at home
to do my best to raise a gentleman

to hold life in Grace
with growth + challenges
all existing
under our umbrella of goodness
my phoenix baby
taught me that

every year on his birthday
i give him my gift
more presence + more patience
a commitment to the best of me
to bring out the best in him

in this 7th year of him
and beyond
the unfolding + the growing
the laughs + the learning
that awesome place of being his teacher + coach
while knowing all along he is my greatest teacher