Sweet One

Sweet One

My heart is overflowing with gratitude

As I sit here contemplating your sweet little soul

I have always known with unquestioning certitude

That someday your presence would make me whole

That you and your siblings would bring joy and completeness

The sense that my life’s purpose had been attained

With your smiles, your laughter, your light and your sweetness

I promise my love will be unrestrained

Take your time coming, but know we are here

Praying for you every morning and night

Waiting for your beautiful soul to appear

For our lives to be illumined by your radiant light

Your father and I promise to love you forever

As high as the sky and as deep as the sea

A love which nothing on this earth can sever

As far as the earth's core and as tall as the tree

This love will never for a moment waiver

It is as wide as the mountain and beyond what you see

Have faith in this love and let it help you be braver

As you learn to trust your heart and to give endlessly

Fire, Stone, Air and Water

Part 1 - Fire

A fire is born from the tiniest spark
A flame vulnerable and inconsequential
It must be protected and gently encouraged
In order to manifest it’s inherent potential

As humans we are much the same
Though we yearn to be independent
We must be encouraged and gently guided
In order to shine light glorious and resplendent

Thus the power we have in one another’s lives
Should not be ignored or considered lightly
We have the power to accompany, to believe in and love
And to gently encourage our friends to shine brightly

We also have the power to hurt those we love
When we think we have answers that they need to learn
Through a few thoughtless words or self-righteous acts
We can smother a spark before it can burn

So remember to love and gently encourage
To trust in the capacity of those who surround you
Believe in the flame that burns in their hearts
And watch as it’s beauty shines brighter and true

Part 2 - Stone

A polished stone begins as a rock
Protected and encased by the earth
Knowing nothing of its inner beauty
Unaware of its inherent worth

To manifest its hidden and glorious potential
Its rough edges must first be removed
Thrown together with other rocks
Through collision all edges are smoothed

Much like rocks it is quite a process
For our characters to be honed and polished
It is impossible to do in solitude
Alone our ego cannot be demolished

But in our relationships can be seen a tool
For complete and total transformation
When we collide and grind off each other’s edges
We catch glimpses of our true inner station

This is the beauty of human interaction
Through it we see with new eyes
For inside every human being
Is a gem just waiting to light up the skies

Part 3 - Air

We often smother ourselves
Hiding in the depths of our past
Unable to move forward
For fear each step will be our last

The air we breathe is filled with hurt
Denial, anger, fear and shame
We barely fill our lungs with air
Each breath poisoned with blame

We stop ourselves from feeling
The breezes of God’s love
Believing ourselves broken
And unable to attain the heavens above

But what if every test we’ve faced
Was strengthening our wings
Building within us courage and nerve
To rise to the heights of kings

Within us is the power to overcome
As much as we are willing to give
And as we transform we begin to see
That to fly is to truly live

Part 4 - Water

A drop of water becomes a puddle
A puddle becomes a stream
A stream becomes a river
Reflecting every sun beam

A river flows into a sea
A sea pours into the ocean
The depths of the ocean’s wisdom
Has set this world in motion

A tie of love is as two seas
Pulling two worlds together
Creating a body so vast and deep
It can calmly overcome any weather

Though the trials of this world of dust
May briefly darken its surface
It’s beauty lies beyond all reach
In the glory of it’s Divine purpose

For from marriage flows the essence of life
The potential for the transformation of our world
As each generation learns and develops
We watch a new civilization become unfurled

I Hope You Know

When each of you came into my life

You left a stamp on my soul

Your joy became my joy

Your sorrow, my sorrow

Nothing compared to the love that you shared

Or the way that you made me feel whole

And when you left

Whether quickly or with a prolonged good-bye

My heart broke a little

There is a hole in my heart now

Where once you were

A loss no words can express

Your toothless grin

Your deeply wise heart

Your tickle attacks 

Your "come and get me!"

Your endless questions

Your eyes filled with love

I miss each of you

Every day

More than words can say

My heart aches to hug you

To have you run into my arms

To watch you grow

To make sure you know

How deeply I love you

But I also hope

That you forget me

That you grow and learn

And that the time we spent together

Becomes a fading memory

A happy one

Oh how I hope it is a happy one

But not one that holds you back

Not one that brings you sadness

I hope you dream and you smile

That you find beauty in the tests you face

And are always surrounded

By His loving embrace

And I hope you know 

I hope you always know

How deeply

How utterly

How completely

You are loved