REAL POEMS FOR REAL MOMS - WEEK 4 PGS. 61 - 76

As always, there are so many good poems that it's hard to choose which ones to write about, but I finally narrowed it down!

FOUND- I have to start with this one, because I've joined the ranks of writing things down. After hosting a large outdoor homeschool event at our house I inadvertently left my brain outside (my notebook). The next morning I was searching all around the house for it when it dawned on me where it was. It had poured down rain all night long. I found my very soaked notebook right where I had left it, at the bottom of the slide, where it received a continuing river of water running over it. It was a mess. I couldn't bring myself to throw it away. It had past notes from 4-H projects, curriculum choices, field trip information, contact numbers, etc, etc. I gingerly placed it on a shelf and tried to fan open the pages as best as I possibly could. It eventually dried, and I did lose half the information in it. I'm a little more watchful where I leave my notebook now.

SMILES II - There are those of you in this group who are more qualified to write about this poem than I am. Some of you are foster parents, teachers, etc, and I know you walk life's journey alongside some of the children this poem is referring to. But- we all see these children, don't we? We may run into them in the grocery store, school events, neighborhoods, and so on. They're the little ones whose eyes are hard from all the times they've had to pick themselves up or so filled with sorrow from being tossed to the side time and time again. Their little faces are aged well beyond their years from all the weight they've had to carry. You know who I'm talking about. While I'm not here to tell anyone what they should or should not do with the big decisions in life regarding these precious children, Donahue is absolutely correct when she reminds us that we can give out "smiles, grace, and favor" just like Christ gives to us.

ON WAITING IN LINE- This poem really hit home with me, because when my grandparents died it became very clear to me that I moved up a rung on the ladder of life to carry on the family traditions. My parents now occupied the spot of my grandparents and I now occupied the spot where they resided. I come from a strong family lineage of faith, family, heritage, and tradition. My grandparents were active in their communities, and they loved their families deeply. It is hard for me to imagine them as having a "faltering step" as they moved forward, because they always seemed so sure in everything they did. I'm sure they must have had, though. How I miss them. I wish my kids would have really known them. How thankful I am for the road they laid for the rest of us to follow.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this wonderful book of real life poetry. I hope it spoke directly to your soul the way it did to mine.For all its beauty, sometimes poetry can be a difficult nut to crack open. Not so here. Just straight, over-the-table with a cup of tea in hand conversation about the life of a momma. Now excuse me while I go switch the laundry load!