Poems, Personal Stories, and Observations

Posts tagged ‘children’

Paper Snowflakes

Today, I’d like to ruminate on the power of good memories, at least one, from my childhood.

I will start in the present time. Yesterday, with two of my grandchildren, we made paper snowflakes. It was fun not only for me to show them how, but to watch their eager attempts to create their own. One is 5 and 1/2, the other is 3 3/4 years old. I had to help with some aspects, but they were able to use (safety) scissors fairly well. The older grandchild morphed into making confetti, which further on turned into a wild throwing of paper, and when cleaning up (sweeping), it got wilder. They started adding jackets, socks, boots, mittens, and toys to the paper piles. [Not sure I handled that well, but they had fun.] The younger grandchild was a lot better with scissors than I expected. I made some snowflakes, too, and we taped them on the wall.

None of this would have happened unless someone had showed me how to make snowflakes. In this case, it was my older brother. After perhaps 63 years, I still remember that he was the one who showed me how. Later in life, I often made paper snowflakes in winter, even though much of my life has been lived in the San Francisco Bay area, where there rarely is snow. But they’ve often provided much pleasure and joy.

There are a few lessons that I think are valid to draw from this:

One, children remember time spent with them, doing something together. I suppose these can be positive or negative things.

Two, we can influence children for good or evil, positive or negative.

Three, spending time with children in a positive way is more important than buying them things. Playing with them and interacting, praising them for any positive accomplishment, can be a great encouragement to them. (Some toys that they can interact with creatively on their own, are very useful, though. In general, I avoid most battery operated toys.)

Four, time spent teaching something positive is never a waste.

So, let them know you’re interested in their life, what they are doing, and encourage the good things. Sometime, even when you’re tired or exhausted with the children in your life, make the effort to interact. [But, I would add, if exhaustion is a pattern, get helpers and find creative ways to overcome that.] This can apply to other relationships. It is well worth it.

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Personal story

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Given Good Gifts

The world is still turning
The seasons come and go.
My heart is still beating;
Life has its ebb and flow.

The blossoms still open;
The birds still laugh and sing.
My heart can be broken,
But then it sings again.

The children are smiling,
And many others cry.
Some have empty stomachs,
Some hear sweet lullabies.

If you’ve been given good gifts,
Please share them with the world,
And one day love will conquer
All the tragedy unfurled.

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Poems

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And Jesus Weeps

Fighting, conflict, violence,
Riots, mayhem, anarchists.

Someday, our world, the light will see;
But children cry, and Jesus weeps.

Those things he said; can’t let them go.
I won’t forgive; my hate will grow.

Someday, our world, the light will see;
But spouses cry, and Jesus weeps.

Can’t see beyond their shade of skin,
I’ll just dismiss their good within.

Someday, our world, the light will see;
But races cry, and Jesus weeps.

My parents were such selfish jerks,
Though they did give me many perks.

Someday, our world, the light will see;
But parents cry, and Jesus weeps.

That kid at school, he’s such a fool.
I’ll beat him up; he isn’t cool.

Someday, our world, the light will see;
But school kids cry, and Jesus weeps.

That church they go to, can it be?
My church is better; don’t they see?

Someday, our world, the light will see;
But Christians cry, and Jesus weeps.

A desperate woman doesn’t know
Abortion’s not the way to go.

Someday, our world, the light will see;
But angels cry, and Jesus weeps.

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Poems

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Grand Canyon

On first sight,
Like little children,
With eyes agog and mouths agape —
Paralyzed in awe and wonder

Or crying,
Strangely still,
Feeling humble

Ancient, ancient rocks
Tell God’s secrets
In silence

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Poems

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This Just In!

This just in:

Many of us are scared little children running around in adult bodies.  The sooner we can recognize this, the better.

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Commentary

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We Can Always Dream

Once upon a time
There was innocence
And sometimes people cared
For the littlest ones

And sometimes marriages were mended
For the sake of the children
And parents sacrificed
To make a good home

And men would give up dreams
For a higher calling,
Glad to sacrifice
For something bigger than themselves —
(Where is George Bailey?)

And once upon a time
People knew that life was sacred —
And were grateful just to be alive

And maybe once upon a time
Never was  —
But it does
Exist in some people, in some places

And maybe once upon a time
Can never be —
But we can always dream

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Poems

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I Beheld Your Beauty

I beheld Your beauty
In the morning dawn,
In dewdrops that were glistening,
In does and little fawns.

I beheld Your beauty
In sunbursts from the clouds,
In rainbows and in lightning,
In rushing rivers loud.

I beheld Your beauty
In little children’s smiles,
In wrinkled faces, in fond embraces;
By love I was beguiled.

I beheld Your beauty
In ugliness disguised,
Beneath the skin, and deep within,
Your beauty there would hide.

I beheld Your beauty,
And cannot comprehend
Your love so great, to contemplate —
Your love will never end.

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Poems

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Missing Men

Missing men and absent abbas,
Deadbeat dads and passive papas,
Men who have gone off to fight,
Men who seem to be off site,
Men who sit and read the news,
While their kids are so confused.

Men who don’t know how to be men,
‘Cause their dad was missing when …
As they grew up, there was an absence
In body, spirit, or emotional lapses.

God, our Father, we pray to thee:
Fill the gaps we cannot see.
Help the men who never learned
For family, wife, to be concerned.

Who might not know to show respect
To women — sometimes they in fact reject
The ones who dare to have a mind;
Some men have not learned to be kind.

Don’t get me wrong, the ones who fight —
The rough guys, tough guys, they’re all right.
I only hope they will include
Some kindness in the interlude.

Yes, dear men, you have a role
To care for wife and children’s soul.
And like us women who too have flaws,
To see God’s plan we must give pause.

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Christian, Commentary, family, Poems

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For the Children

For the Children

There can be an ache inside
Truly cannot be denied
We try to hide the pain inside
But pretty soon the hurts collide
With others’, and the wound gets wide

I had two mommies, don’t you see
They really didn’t think of me
And no one ever thought of them
The cycle it goes ’round again

I only had a mom, you see
My dad and her could not agree
And so he left; they could not see
A way to be in harmony

I had two dads; ’twas really sad.
Wondered who my mother was;
I cried sometimes at night because
She never was

I had a mom and dad, you see
But dad was gone emotion’ly
He read his paper, watched TV
Didn’t have the time for me

Oh, who cares for the children?
Who really cares?

Dads and moms, they were abandoned.
Never learned to love, it saddened
Their hearts, but they could never see
What it did to you, to me

The only way to get beyond it
Is seek God’s way; you’ve got to find it.
Move beyond the pain and anguish
God’s way for life we must establish.
Forgive, let go, and let it show
God’s joy in time you’ll get to know.

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Poems

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