Writer's Pantry #78. I spent the holiday weekend visiting family in Illinois whom I had not seen since before Covid....a gathering with my brother's children and grandchildren. My niece's son, who is now grown with a family of his own, hugged goodbye, thanked us for coming, and said "You know, when you're young it's all about you and your friends, and as you grow older you realize it's all about family. Family is everything." I was touched, and it brought to mind a poem I wrote long ago when my parents were living. It says so much about the importance of family....and perhaps the reason my nephew has come to his conclusion. It seems worth sharing today.
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ROOTS
Two people from different backgrounds
Your lives joined and you began
A family of various people
We now lovingly call our clan.
These days our numbers are many
Our paths scattered far and wide
But we remember the lessons you taught us
As we walked in the fields at your side
“If you can’t say good about someone,
There’s no need to speak at all”.
“Tis not ours to judge a fellow
For his sins and shortcomings and all”.
“God gives us different ways and faces
But we’re all equal in his sight”.
“You can’t stray far from happy
If you remember wrong from right”.
Special times we still come together
In our high heels and shiny boots
To learn still at the seat of our knowledge
In the home where we have our roots.
Grandchildren and great grandchildren
Eyes all sparkling and bright
The table groaning with bounty
Our hearts filled with simple delight.
I sit and look about me
And I think God has planned it thus
We must pass on to those who come after
The gifts you have given to us.
That's lovely and so true... family is so important and passing on life lessons to the younger generation a must.
ReplyDeleteThis brought back some good memories. I especially love your conclusion.
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful The poem is filled with wisdom and warmth Family is so important
ReplyDeleteThis is so true, and what a beautiful message. Respect is for everyone, and family is everything.
ReplyDeleteEven this reclusive, almost-no-family-connections hermetic isolationist enjoyed this work, Beverly. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteSome roots tangle and others stretch out. My dad used to call the clan he started "a population!"
ReplyDeletePoetry most precious!
ReplyDeleteThis one made me think of Fridays, at my grandmother's house, while I was growing up. The whole family would meet there, cooking together, tidying the grounds together, making merry... and yes, learning new things about life and each other.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you got to see your family.
This is lovely. <3
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