We hold them close...learn every freckle and eyelash...count every finger, tooth and toe. We ride the waves of their ups and downs, share their dreams and carry their woes as surely as we carried them on our hips. As soon as they are wishes, mere whispers in our hearts, we are praying for them...
"May the good Lord be with you
Down every road you roam
And may sunshine and happiness
Surround you when you're far from home."
We ache from the joy that comes from the privilege of sharing their journey. All of the firsts - from that first breath to their first love...from their first step to their first job. Countless thousands of little moments that combine to become a childhood. Countless milestones that mark their growth into young adulthood. We pray for them. With them....sharing our hearts, our ideas...our ideals.
"May you grow to be proud
Dignified and true
And do unto others
As you'd have done to you
Be courageous and be brave
And in my heart you'll stay
Forever Young..."
The days add up, weeks become years, and that letting go season begins. Our hearts are stretched. And our prayers change...
"May good fortune be with you
May your guiding light be strong.
Build a stairway to heaven
With a prince or a vagabond.
May you never love in vain...
And in my heart you will remain
Forever Young.
And when you finally fly away
I'm hoping that I served you well
For all the wisdom of a life time
No one can ever tell."
MORE THAN ANYTHING...
we always want these babies of ours to know two things...
"Whatever road you choose,
I'm right behind you,
Win or loose..."
And, in spite of the fact that I have to accept, acknowledge and adjust to all sorts of things...
in my heart you will remain
Forever Young!
{Inspired by Rodin's statues and Rod Stewart's lyrics}
Linking up with Kathy for
What a beautiful sentiment and tribute to your children!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful combination of sculpture, your photography, lyrics and your words. So moving!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful words and even more beautiful pictures!
ReplyDeleteOh gorgeous! What perfect pictures for this week.
ReplyDeleteCan you believe last night! We stared at the tv for 10 minutes speechless. Why did Salty no hold the ball!!??
Well said, love these shots.
ReplyDeleteOh my.
ReplyDeleteYou truly spoke from MY heart.
Beautiful - beautiful - beautiful.
Oh, your set is so sweet and tender!
ReplyDeleteI'm not one to get emotional, but this post is filled with intense emotion. My fave shot is the close up of the hands. I am not a mother-only to pets-so I don't know these feelings except thru listening to friends. Your post is beautiful in pictures and words.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, beautiful, beautiful! You write exactly what I feel about my kids. And the photos are lovely. Thanks for this inspiring post!
ReplyDeleteOh my...you have truly captured what being a parent is all about. No matter how old our "youngins" get, they will forever be young in our hearts. My three Things still haven't grasped that concept. Perhaps it isn't something you truly understand until you are a parent have your own "Things" :). Love your writing my friend (the photography well....you already KNOW I love that!). Thanks for joining in on S ong-ography...I truly am moved by where this song took you this week :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful interpretation of the song. I thoroughly enjoyed this post and accompanying photos that went so well with your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteYou and I have such kindred spirits. Seems we think alike on a lot of things. I love these tender vignettes that you shared!
ReplyDeleteholy crap - you pulled on every emotion, thought, and truth of my journey with my children, especially now with one in a foreign country and the youngest readying to take that first step towards leaving the nest.
ReplyDeleteYour words and images have once again resonated so deeply.
Lots of thought went into this week's theme♫ Nicely done! My Song♫♪...http://lauriekazmierczak.com/forever-young/
ReplyDeleteWoW....chills!! this is so beautiful and oh so special!!
ReplyDeleteSpending time with our middle one ...watching her manage the city of Paris as if she had done it for years...your post could not have come at a more perfect time. That song already made me weepy, not it will bring on a gusher!
ReplyDeleteI've always loved reading posts about motherhood, a big reason I've been a part of the mommy blogger community YEARS before I ever became a mom. The words just sang to my heart. I don't know why.
ReplyDeleteBut now? Oh they resonate in ways I couldn't anticipate. Even in these early days of mamahood, I'm acutely aware that my time with Cy is limited. That I'm raising him up to leave. To fly on his own. So when the days are tough, or long, I remind myself I only get this day with him just this once. It grants me just that extra bit of patience or strength I need.
I love the way you share that here.
Anyway, I also wanted to say sorry I haven't been commenting here as much lately. I've been wanting to, especially with your beautiful photos. I've keeping up with my blog reading, but it's been one-handed via my iPhone, in fits and starts, while nursing the baby or carrying him in an enticement to sleep, and typing long comments with just one thumb takes more skill than I have. Anyway, just wanted to say hi and let you know I'm still around! Happy Halloween!
Absolutely gorgeous, Adrienne!! I'd never thought of the words to that song pertaining to a parent's relationship with their child, but it's perfect.
ReplyDeleteVery well done!
Lovely post and I had the same theme.
ReplyDelete