(Lamp by Roger and Hyrum Baker-2014)

We may think that as parents we have plenty of opportunities to shape and affect the lives of our children.  And we would be right.  But some opportunities, when missed, cannot be recaptured.  They are lost, and we cannot know what we have missed or how we may have helped another.  The best we can hope is that we won’t miss the next indispensable opportunity.  This poem is about opportunities gained and lost, and hints at the need for making a commitment to make the most of them when they arise.  Our children need us.

AT MIDNIGHT

I lay on my back
at midnight
and wondered if I should
go to his room,
where his light still shone,
and talk to my son,
a young man.
I lay on my back and wondered.
I lay on my back and thought.
But when I at last arose,
I found his light too soon turned off.

(Note.  This poem is not about suicide.  But it could be.  If we suspect that our child is depressed or sad or lonely or wanting to take their own life, we need to take a moment to reach out, to express love and support, and to ask the hard questions that will help pave the way to safety.   QPR training–Question, Persuade, Refer–is a useful tool for all.)