A 35 year old memento never forgotten

My entire life, up until my wedding day, I had a poem on my wall in my bedroom growing up.  Even as a teenager, I kept the pink ribbon, hand-made, typewriter written poem on my wall.  I had it in a spare bedroom before we had kids....and then it sat. However, I never forgot it.

As I was unpacking in the new home, I was able to reopen my treasures that had sat in the attic.  Now, my kids are enjoying many of them.  My son has some of my childhood books now that he is reading.  My girls have my pound puppies (even one that lost a nose in a dogfight).  I even gave the girls my dollhouse.

However, the poem will ALWAYS be mine.  I remember the day that I got married, I looked at the poem and read it.  And, today, it still holds meaning, especially as I now have a blog inspired by a home that we now live in. 

Here is the Poem:

For Rebecca

Do not hurry through these early years,
Brushing thoughtlessly past the months.
But rather,
Wonder lightly, stopping often
To touch a moment
Or be kissed by a day.
Savor the sleepy sunshine mornings,
And from the warmth of your crib-cocoon
Steal a piece of the peaceful
To treasure in your heart - a penchat for tomorrow.
Laugh freely through your butterfly years
And draw close to your soul
The simple beauty of your world.
Pause to ask your innocent questions,
And impatiently demand the answers.
Blossom slowly in these trust-filled days
For soon enough you will be a woman.

With love from your godparents 2/15/76

Pushing the Butterfly

Did you know that if someone or something tries to push the butterfly to come out of the cocoon before it is ready to come out, it will die?
The butterfly has to decide, on its own, when to emerge from the cocoon when the time is right.

I love this thought....Surely, there has been many moments in my life that I can apply this thought.

What is something that someone else has wanted for me more then myself?  However, despite them saying that we can do it (or that they believe in us), it doesn't happen?  Is that because I didn't actually believe myself or take the first intentional step to making it happen?  Maybe the dream didn't happen as I didn't invest myself in that dream?  Maybe, I didn't tell others.  Perhaps, I didn't write it down.
Despite all the cheerleaders in the world, it depends on ME to make the first step to making it happen.

I am sure the cocoon can be lonely, cold and dark.  However, the beautiful world awaits me when I am ready.  It can even be scary. 

However, like Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the entire staircase."

I may not always know exactly where I am going....but knowing that as long as I dream, I WILL eventually fly when I am meant to fly.