Ode to My Children

Gifted to me both X and Y

You entered my world with one shrill cry

To tears of joy and parental hands

To shape and mold as only a potter can

And so the lofty task commenced

To sit, to walk, to speak words of sense

All milestones meant to meet

Nature’s standard developmental worksheet

And then with warm and loving hands

The potter took sole command

With a swish of the trowel to smooth out life’s creases

The potter carefully crafted his two masterpieces

Prepped and purposed the X and Y

Diverged on paths where their skill sets apply

Talents well honed flagged with IQs

A final infusion of Aristotle’s twelve said virtues

And now as parents having reached our own peak

We take time to pause and reflection seek

Did the potter actually achieve his ultimate goal

And glaze his masterpieces with an enviable soul

Our lives may well be winding down

Faded memories wholly of personal renown

And yet with seasoned eyes we see the obstacles that appear

Amid busy lives with energetic children to rear

No doubt a balance with significant strain

But in the end comes worthy gain

For etched within the potter’s face

A satisfaction lies deep in place

A job well done is now complete

Our footprints on earth firmly cemented in concrete

ODE TO MY CHILDREN - SYNOPSIS

Children are a gift. Their entry into the world as undeveloped human beings is analogous

to the potter’s lump of clay. The first few years of life are spent amassing the basics, known

in medicine as developmental milestones. Then comes the work of the parents to mold them and infuse them with virtues for the substrate of the soul. As the potter ages and reflects on his life’s work, a smile of deep satisfaction becomes etched on his face. He knows his masterpieces are grounded, cemented in concrete, and not just a footprint in the sand. His job is complete!