Thirty Years of Parenting

 

Thirty Years of  Parenting

Thirty years have slipped away,

Not all at once, but day by day.

In tiny hands and growing feet,

In whispered prayers and bedtime sleep.

It started with a newborn's cry,

A hopeful heart, a lullaby.

A promise made without a guide -

To love, protect, stand by their side.

There were scraped knees and fevered nights,

Lost baby teeth and training bikes.

Educational triumphs, teenage storms,

Learning that love takes many forms.

Some days were laughter, bright and free;

Some tested every part of me.

Yet through each joy and every tear,

Love only grew from year to year.

I've watched small dreams take shape and soar,

Seen timid hearts become much more.

The children I carried, held so near,

Now walks with purpose, strong and clear.

Thirty years have left a trace -

Softened hands and silver grace.

But if  I had to choose once more,

I'd gladly open that same door.

For parenting is not just years;

It's stitched with hope and mended fears.

It's letting go while staying near,

A steady voice they'll always hear.

So here's to every sacrifice,

To ordinary moments times six.

As precious now as they once seemed -

The life we built, the love we dreamed.

And through the seasons onward climb,

A parent's heart outlives all time.

For thirty years are just the start,

Of forever living in one heart.