Valentine Week: To a Daughter Leaving Home

This week, we're going to celebrate lots of love in lots of ways! 

Breakfast in Bed by Mary Cassatt

I remember holding my sweet Kate when she was a baby, and my heart was beyond full, beyond happy. The immensity of the love I felt gave the word wholehearted new meaning. And, as I sat there rocking her, I suddenly realized that the way I felt about Kate was exactly how Mom felt about me.

With that in mind, here's our first love poem of the week, with special hugs to Kate and Mary:

To a Daughter Leaving Home
by Linda Pastan

When I taught you
at eight to ride
a bicycle, loping along
beside you
as you wobbled away
on two wheels,
my own mouth rounding
in surprise when you pulled
ahead down the curved
path of the park,
I kept waiting
for the thud
of your crash as I
sprinted to catch up,
while you grew
smaller, more breakable
with distance, 
pumping, pumping
for your life, screaming
with laughter, 
the hair flapping
behind you like a
handkerchief waving
goodbye. 

And here's a link to one of my favorite parenting songs: Child of Mine by Carole King. Enjoy!