Poem

Love that Grows

I catch his eye

across a myriad of faces, and

he makes his way to me.

We met in a distant state

where I fell in love,

but time and miles kept us apart

until the last few years.

Now we laugh and talk over a coke,

and the more I get to know him,

the more I fall in love.

The handsome bearded face lights up,

and I smile as he shares

his dreams, his passions.

He plans to return to the place we first met

to realize his dreams,

and I’ll miss him.

His arms surround me and

my heart quickens when he says,

I love you, Grandma.

When my youngest daughter married, she moved to a different state with her pastor husband and in a few years they started a family. While I spent a few days with her when her first son was born, the visits were not often so my first grandson grew up away from me and his Papa. They lived a little closer when the next two were born, but a busy work schedule prevented frequent visits, so they, too, grew up away from us. I missed getting to be close to my grandchildren and was happy when my daughter announced that they were moving back home and would be pasturing a church close to us.

So the last few years, my husband and I have been trying to make up for lost time with our grandchildren. We have enjoyed spending time with them and getting to know them. Our oldest grandson just graduated high school and is leaving next week for an internship in the state where he was born and will attend college there. I am so proud of him and happy for the opportunities he has available. I know he will excel as he is trained to fulfill the calling on his life.

And I will miss him. I feel I'm just getting to know him, and he is leaving. I wrote this poem for him.