My daughter says:
When to jump
When to tread
When to flutter kick
When to swim in
When to swim out
When I should let go of her
Do this, do that,
I say
As I watch the water
And know
If I were alone
This is what I would do
So that the numbered hairs
On my head
Would stay dry.
I have taught her this:
If you stay light by giving in to the water,
The push of the wave toward the shore
Is stronger than the pull of the current
That would take her so far away
If you lift yourself up,
If you choose to be brought in.
It's all up to you.
I have taught her this:
Do you want to be here
Or elsewhere?
Swim or don't swim.
I can't choose for you.
But left to my own devices
I would ride the current
And call it good.
39 Comments
it's always a challenge to pass on our gained wisdom to those who follow in our footsteps...
ReplyDeletewise parenting and good poem, Sandy :)
ReplyDeletewe say "throw them in the water" if they got to learn swimming...the rules they learn on the way...and then to break the rules, when needed,
wishes,
devika
Lovely poem, Sandy! May those who come behind us find us faithful :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful poem about letting go and riding the wave of life...
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely Saturday,
xo
hahahaha It gets worse as they grow older with the commands.
ReplyDeleteThey know more than you do (or so we are told lol)
But I guess like in everything else
time to hold and time to let go. Just don;t rush it. :)
what great lessons one can get from you sandy. wisdom must be the term here.
ReplyDeleteAhhh yes, I tend to ride the current. It has taken me through many wonderful places in my life.
ReplyDeleteI have ridden the current and the waves and I find them both equally exciting! The current can be a little scary since you can not see where it is taking you. While the wave, you can see the shoreline and an end to your journey.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post!
Hugs
SueAnn
You have such a way with words that make such visual images.
ReplyDeletesweet ...!!
ReplyDeleteThis, I love!
ReplyDeleteThe flow of it leading into unexpected territory and gifts of images!
'I have taught her this:
If you stay light by giving in to the water,
The push of the wave toward the shore
Is stronger than the pull of the current
That would take her so far away'
And how we love, and how we gift, and how we need to teach the steps to freedom and the steps back home, with a heart full of aching for both choices.
Beautiful wise and gentle.
Thank you
Hope you are safe and happy. Will miss you while you are away. Come back soon and hugs for now, G
ReplyDeleteI loved your take on this. When you can let go and drift with the current it is bliss.
ReplyDeleteIt's difficult drift on the current. Most of the world says we have to push and pull to succeed. But true happiness occurs when we drift with the current.
ReplyDeleteLike a tender reed along the banks...
ReplyDeleteThat which cannot bend will surely break...
Beautiful
you've been drawing a lot of wisdom from the waves this week!
ReplyDeletevery nice poem Sandy!
ReplyDeleteall of us parents always want the best for our children by being an exemplar!
but we need to let them choose or decide what's best for them once they reach the age when they can already be responsible for their own actions...
this reminds me of a fault when i have to insists what my daughter would take up in college and i was left like a bankrupt because she would shift to another course of her preference!
beautiful as always Sandy and what with the moral of the poem! loved it!
Lovely poem...
ReplyDeleteI love it Sandy but I can't help but put in context on everything else you tell us (and what little I know about you)and you know what? I love this poem even more because I can't help but hear that whisper in the back of your head that (might) be saying "Psst, Sandy, who the hell are you to give advice?" It is the same whisper every parent hears and I love to hate it.
ReplyDeleteI call your poem Good! :D
ReplyDeleteI guess the question is whether that current, takes us where we want to go. I choose to ride the current sometimes, then swim towards interesting looking islands as they pass along. Stay on the island for awhile, then back into the water. I enjoyed your poem. It got me thinking this morning. I hope you are enjoying your vacation! Rob.
ReplyDeleteGreat wisdom there.
ReplyDeletelovely wisdom.. :) its good to pass on knowledge..
ReplyDeleteLovely :) Makes me think of the struggle of letting my girls grow up-but not so fast that they miss the rest of their childhood.
ReplyDeleteExcellent piece, full of wisdom! Great post!
ReplyDelete-Weasel
"But left to my own devices
ReplyDeleteI would ride the current
And call it good."
This sounds like the easy way out, Sandy. I know that isn't you coming through here in this peom. You have school teacher ambiition and would go to safety's edge on your own.
If I were to follow your poet's admonition I would sink and drown. I have to keep moving, I cannot naturally float.
..
BTW, I learned to swim at PE class in my second year of college. Mrs. Jim did also, at her school.
..
This is beautiful, and I love the philosophy floating juts below the surface (pun intended). Great take on the prompt!
ReplyDeleteHow impressive a piece. Life rarely felt more honest and real than this. Chapeau !
ReplyDeletedaily athens
Loved this when you emailed it yesterday. It has such a sweet and honest spirit.
ReplyDeletePat,
ReplyDeleteYou know me well, I'd say. I was laughing at myself and thinking, just go, kid. Swim. (But if I lose you I'm in big trouble....)
Going against the current seems to be the toughest path! Your words are wonderfully clear and beautiful.
ReplyDeleteJim,
ReplyDeleteRiding the current is not the easy way out by a long shot. Doing so successfully requires humility. God bless.
"I would ride the current
ReplyDeleteAnd call it good."
Riding the current is easy part. Calling it good - difficult.
Thanks for words of wisdom Sandy.
Sandy, this is brilliant.. I think you have just inpired me to go ride the current and make myself light washing all the thoughts which burden me.. away.. thanks Sandy..a lovely lesson this..please keep showing the path..
ReplyDeletenice... I read it over several times getting new things from it. I like that.
ReplyDeleteI loved reading this, savoring it, it's beautiful, tender, and I sense a great love here, an open-handed love...
ReplyDeleteAs always Sandy- your poems resonate with me on different levels. The parent in you is so apparent in this, as the child in your daughter. Children need the safety of those rules to give themselves security so when the waves do come they can make that choice to ride the current or follow one of their rules. Ahh- growing up- so very complicated, isn't it?!
ReplyDeleteTo drift back to familiar shores or allow the current to carry you. Either choice takes faith and humility. I wish I had had such swimming lessons!
ReplyDeleteHope you are finding inspiration and replenishment on your break.
Sometimes, discerning when to simply "let it ride" requires the greatest degree of connoisseurdom. Well done, lovely poem!
ReplyDeleteThanks for being here.