A BLESSING FROM ABOVE

By Kathy Armijo

For nine months I carried you in my womb.

I wanted your birth to be soon.

But, the months dragged by.

I kept wishing time would fly.

Yet all the while, I knew you were a blessing from above.

What a glorious surprise that first time you kicked.

In that moment I knew you’d always get a “kick” out of life.

I prayed that my love would be your strength in times of strife.

Yet all the while, I knew you were a blessing from above.

That first baby cry, who can forget it?

Life, on the outside, had just begun.

I knew we would truly have great fun.

Holding you for the first time brought tears of joy.

For only a parent can know the depths of this emotion.

Yet all the while, I knew you were a blessing from above.

I don’t remember counting your fingers and toes.

Yet, I knew you were perfect.

Who could ask for more?

After all, you were a blessing from above.

I watched you grow.

From gurgling to giggling to laughter.

From cooing to those famous first words – Momma and Dadda.

Then the two-worded sentences to incessant, non-stop chattering.

It was heart-warming to watch you go from crawling to walking then running.

Sometimes you faltered and fell, and my heart took its toll.

But all the while, I knew you were a blessing from above.

Curiosity was your first, middle and last name.

To you, life was simply a game.

You always knew the outcome would be the same.

You would always be the winner, even if you lost.

Setbacks were temporary, but winning made you the “boss.”

I worried about your short-comings.

But all the while, I knew you were a blessing from above.

You knew you had one chance to make your mark in this world.

You did the best you could.

It didn’t matter what others thought.

You faced challenges with gusto.

Your successes outnumbered your fiascos.

I reveled in your achievements.

I prayed when you faced difficulties.

But all the while, I knew you were a blessing from above.

When your life ended too soon

I knew you’d gone to whence you came.

You had truly won the “big” game.

While your life was short in comparison to eternity,

I always knew that you were a blessing from above!