PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

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I am grateful to Chronos and Philotes…

the Gods of time and affection in Greek myth

Chronos for reminding me 

that time is precious 

And Philotes for reminding me 

that even more precious than time

is who we choose to spend time with.

 We recently came face to face in this life we are arranging

how, whether we like it or not, the times they are a changing.

For more years than I can count…Deborah and, I acting like two stalkers,

prowled up and down the sidelines…

watching our children and grandchildren play soccer.

In all the years we watched them… all the goals we’ve seen missed and  made 

we’ve kept the same list of all the fields on which our children and grandchildren played.

With our youngest grandchild off to college…I came across that list the other day 

and even though there are no more soccer games to watch…

I didn’t have the heart…to throw that list away.

As I put the list in our chest…where it now becomes a treasured keepsake 

I came across this photo Deborah took of a family birthday cake.

For years at the end of August…our family found a way

to celebrated eight summer birthdays…all on the same day…

It was a wonderful celebration….one Deborah and I held dear

and one our entire family looked forward to each year.

But our family is more scattered this year…

and, knowing much of them could not attend,

meant one of our favorite celebrations…has now come…to an end.

It is true what they say… 

sometimes we are so captivated in the moment we are living in…

the one we’re concentrating on…

that we don’t think about how much we’ll miss it……until that moment’s gone.

It reminds us to enjoy each moment…each soccer game…each family celebration

and store that memory in our mind…

because we never know when it will be the last one of its kind.

If we’re lucky once they’re gone…

we’ll have a way to awaken those special moments in life we make…

perhaps something as simple as an old list of soccer fields…

or a photo of a family birthday cake.

Today I’m grateful for understanding the importance of time

For it is my belief…my contention….

That whenever our children need it…

we should find the time

to give them our undivided attention.

Today I’m grateful for my understanding time:

For knowing time is as precious as can be…

makes me grateful for those who choose

to spend their time with me.

May we be blessed to understand the dichotomies of time….

(For dichotomies is something time shall never lack!)

It’s free…yet it’s priceless

and once you’ve lost it…you can never get it back.

From the moment of our birth…as we compose our daily rhyme…

we are free-floating on a river…a river we call time.

Somewhere as we’re floating…perhaps in a moment of silent reflection…

We realize this river of time flows at one speed…and in only one direction. 

We accept these restrictions created by this stream….

knowing if the current ever stopped flowing…

we’d have no memories…no dreams.

There are times of sorrow, however, times that make us cry

times of tragedy and disaster…

when we wish that river of time would flow along a little faster.

There are other times, however, times of great happiness and joy

perfect moments that make us smile….

when we wish that river would slow down…or pause a little while.

But wishing time will speed up or slow down…leaves us disappointed and frustrated…

because we know that’s not how time works…not how she was created.

So we do our best to enjoy the ride as we float on this ever-flowing stream

content to turn our moments into memories…and our wishes into dreams.

May we be blessed 

to enjoy every moment we can with our children 

and our grandchildren

enjoy every moment….before…

We turn around one day and realize…

they are not children or grandchildren any more.

It’s funny what went through my mind…the joy….the wonder….the pride

when I looked into the eyes of my grandson,

as he looked into the eyes of his bride.

As I watched this wonderful young man…I found it difficult to understand…. 

where all the time has gone since I could pick him up…

and carry him with one hand?

Since I took him for walks in his stroller….

and pointed out all the things there were to see.

When did this little boy I use to cradle…

become taller and wiser than me?

I still see that same smile…that same eagerness…

that same innocence and joy

as I saw in him every time I picked him up when he was a little boy.

But gone are the days I could pick him up…

or tuck him into bed snug as a bug in a rug

Those times I would carry him around the house when he visited

have been replaced with a ‘Hi PopPop” and a hug.

Oh I am not complaining…everything is great…it’s wonderful…it’s good. 

Life has moved on as it is meant to move on…as it always should.

But as I stood there watching Damien marry the love of his life….

when I heard the wedding bell chime….

I thought back and wondered how great it would be

If I could pick him up with one hand

and carry him…

one more time.