Winter, Fall, Spring and Summer
An ode to my children
My first child
Came in winter
And like the season
The sun disappeared from my life
My beautiful boy
Who had eyes as big as the universe
And a mind eager to be filled
And I was so lost
I wanted to sleep and never wake up
I wanted to give him up
Because I felt so inadequate.
But he had such a beautiful smile
And contagious giggles
And he loved cars
And Spooky Pooky
And hated soup.
And I was terrified my husband would leave me
When he realized just how awful of a mother I was.
I got help.
But it was only the beginning.
Healing was slow in coming.
Staying meant I got to see my boy
Who loves math
And puzzles.
Who hears a cry and wants to fix it.
Who has a heart and mind like his father
And doesn’t put up with sexist nonsense,
Even at his tender age of 9.
My next child came in autumn.
She was my surprise baby.
The one I needed
Cragratu-dolences for.
She loved her sleep.
But every time she opened her eyes
She glared at the world.
Oh how she loved her big brother.
And climbing.
And screeching like a pterodactyl.
She is my wild child.
Much like autumn,
With moods that change at the drop of a hat,
Sweetness and cuddles one moment
And raging storms the next.
But she sings,
And plays
And commands the stage
From giving a hug
To making friends.
She’s so much like me it hurts.
And like fall,
She is explosive with color
From her clothes
To her art that covers my walls
Often not on paper
And I don’t do much to stop it
Because I hate white walls too.
They’re prettier
stained with pink and blue and orange.
My adventurous, stubborn, creative 8 year old.
Who I often tell
That she is far scarier
than any monster she fears in the shadows.
My third child came in spring.
And like spring
He brought back the sun.
He is my little bucket of sunshine.
With his bright smile and shining eyes.
He has such a beautiful mind.
He follows in his brother’s footsteps,
In loving to learn.
He loves counting
And the alphabet
And colors
And shapes.
He wants to watch marbles
And play with trains.
We have to say goodnight to the toys
Or he won’t sleep.
His hugs are so sweet
And he demands a certain number of kisses
Every time you offer.
And he just is so cute
And 4.
Every time he surprises me with something new.
Learning how to write his letters is the gateway
To everything he wants to accomplish.
I know he will do incredible things.
He just has a unique mind.
His brain is neuro-spicey.
And I couldn’t imagine him any other way.
My summer baby,
My little Persephone
Is only 4 months old.
My baby girl who loves her sleep
Like her big sister.
Who smiles like her big brother.
Who wants to be held
all the time
like her oldest brother.
She is so laid back
And easy to please.
She’s vocal
And speaks her mind.
She reminds me of summer
My own birth month
Like that.
In summer
when things are easier
When one can smile
And sleep
And celebrate enthusiastically
Or sit back and relax.
I dont know what kind of mind she’ll have
But I know I love her laugh.
We are so lucky to have her.
Winter, Fall, Spring and Summer.
My babies.
My life long adventures.
What precious jewels to have
In my home.