I don't think I'm finished with this one yet, but I'm posting it because I'm not sure when I will have the strength to go back to it.
When my child hurts,
My heart breaks,
as I try to figure out what I can say,
that will feel like the hug
I want to give.
Knowing that nothing said over the phone,
Will feel as comforting as my arms,
holding her tight,
as she drenches my shirt with her tears.
When my child is drowning in misery,
in my arms or a thousand miles away,
I feel helpless.
As I listen to her words and sobs,
I hold my breath to stay calm,
To hold in my thoughts of rage and revenge
against whoever caused the pain.
I hang on
Until she emerges,
From the moment,
Wet and shaken,
And somehow stronger,
Even though she might not realize it yet.
When my child hurts,
she often recovers faster than I do,
And her life goes on.
And maybe, just maybe,
something I said or did
made a difference.
Whether it did or not,
isn’t the point.
