Plenty To Smile About

We recall the things our children used to say
For example from our daughter "I just want my hodalays"
We smile at the many times they use a phrase
And lots of other quirky things, on happy days

We smile for the joy and happiness they bring
Their wonder at the world and the songs they often sing
The stories that they love, the funny things they write
The way they're so attentive to the tales we tell at night

We smile at their games, there are some we used to play
The way they're so excited at the start of every day
The way they see the world, through specs all glazed in rose
The way they look like angels when at night their eyes are closed

We smile at their endeavours and the pictures that they draw
The ones they draw of people with their arms next to their jaw
The way they choose a playmate not by race or sex or creed
The way they only ask from you the love they crave and need

We smile at their honesty, their take on what they see
The jobs they wish to do and the things they want to be
One day a doctor, fireman, president or queen
Then a person with a trolley, who keeps the toilets clean

We smile, they won't  judge on  job or home
Yet we know we must protect them and ensure that they don't roam
In innocence they'll accept someone as long as they seem kind
Rich, poor or disabled, they'll just take folk as they find

We smile and we imagine how they'll grow
Enjoy this precious time, for all too soon you'll know
As long as all their efforts are rewarded with your praise
Most likely you'll be proud of the adult you have raised

We smile, though inside our hearts could break
Now they're fully grown, their own mistakes to make
A parent's task is set, that we must fledge them from the nest
They were only lent to us, for this purpose we were  blessed

Although we're filled with sadness at our empty little nest
We have to reconcile that this is only for the best
We can help to stop them falling if there ever is a need
As learning how to fly becomes their runway to succeed

Never feel redundant once there's only you and dad
Take comfort that you treasured every second that you had
Even on the sidelines you can share their highs and lows
And then they might come back to you, as every grandma knows