I hold my beloved child
Snuggled to my chest,
His hair so fine and fluffy
With the sweet scent of baby shampoo.
He nurses, relaxes, and drifts to sleep.
I listen to the gentle rhythm of his breathing
Feeling the warmth and softness of his skin.
I remember first hearing his heartbeat at the doctor's office
And my first glimpse of his growth at the ultrasound.
How long the months of pregnancy
As we waited with anticipation his arrival;
Yet how quickly it all occurred in hindsight.
I can vividly account
How joyous his birth
And clearly recall first gazing into his eyes.
Looking at him now,
I'm in awe of how he's changed.
How big he's grown.
Blessed, so blessed we are
To be parents.
I praise the Lord
With prayers of thanksgiving
That mingle with tears.
I do not understand why,
As I hold my child
And see him thrive,
There is another parent
Holding their child;
Seeing him die.
I enjoy my son every day;
He brings such richness to my life.
How can it be that
This opportunity is stolen from some families,
That they should not partake
In this inexplicable experience of living
As a parent of a living child?
I weep for them.
For those I've heard of,
Those I've prayed for
And those I'll never know.
I weep for them,
But my tears are none
In comparison
To a tiny fraction of their agony,
For my tears fall
On a healthy child,
Held in my loving arms
For hours on end.
Thank You, Lord
For the blessing of children
And the privilege of parenthood;
Help us not take for granted
The time, whether brief or vast,
We are given with our child.
Amen.
Snuggled to my chest,
His hair so fine and fluffy
With the sweet scent of baby shampoo.
He nurses, relaxes, and drifts to sleep.
I listen to the gentle rhythm of his breathing
Feeling the warmth and softness of his skin.
I remember first hearing his heartbeat at the doctor's office
And my first glimpse of his growth at the ultrasound.
How long the months of pregnancy
As we waited with anticipation his arrival;
Yet how quickly it all occurred in hindsight.
I can vividly account
How joyous his birth
And clearly recall first gazing into his eyes.
Looking at him now,
I'm in awe of how he's changed.
How big he's grown.
Blessed, so blessed we are
To be parents.
I praise the Lord
With prayers of thanksgiving
That mingle with tears.
I do not understand why,
As I hold my child
And see him thrive,
There is another parent
Holding their child;
Seeing him die.
I enjoy my son every day;
He brings such richness to my life.
How can it be that
This opportunity is stolen from some families,
That they should not partake
In this inexplicable experience of living
As a parent of a living child?
I weep for them.
For those I've heard of,
Those I've prayed for
And those I'll never know.
I weep for them,
But my tears are none
In comparison
To a tiny fraction of their agony,
For my tears fall
On a healthy child,
Held in my loving arms
For hours on end.
Thank You, Lord
For the blessing of children
And the privilege of parenthood;
Help us not take for granted
The time, whether brief or vast,
We are given with our child.
Amen.