Co-creation
My children birthed me
many times through our time together;
we have labored over
Our relationship
Our independence
Our interlocked destinies.
We have adventured as “family,”
fought as friends do, with
our least selves held in honor
at some core level,
while our higher selves
offered bridges of joy
and reflections of gratitude,
side-splitting times of laughter
silent understandings,
and connected times of sorrow.
They have offered me opportunity
to parent myself again
as I witnessed my wounds and worries,
flaws and failings,
through the interchange of our love
and deeply realized my strengths and offerings,
gifts and passions
through the memories we have
made with each other.
After 50 plus years on the planet,
I am more deeply realized,
knowing more surely the most hidden parts of
my existence,
the most vulnerable aspects of human life,
the greatest possibilities of being-ness-
through this one role:
It is the richest vein of learning
the single most channel of wealth
I have experienced:
through the tunnel, river, canyon, ocean, sky
called “mother.”
January Handl
You are very honest in your writing and I enjoyed reading your perspective.
Thank you! Honesty in the work is something I strive for, and admire!
January, you have said it all so beautifully. This really is what parenthood is all about. I am finding it difficult enough to describe it in prose, and you have done it perfectly in poetry!
Thank you! For me, sometimes having to condense my words actually helps my focus.
Truly profound.
Thank you, Besty!
Your words moved me to celebrate the complexities of our often-buried symbioses. Your photo embraced what your words so lyrically described. Thanks again!
Thank you, Charles. The photo is actually of my daughter and granddaughter- which has been delicious in a whole new way to witness.
Proving that life tends to repeat itself, only not!