Guest Author - Linda J. Paul

For Mother's Day, my two youngest sons 20 and 23 bought me a slushie machine. We spent the day together making slushies, playing in the yard, looking at old photo albums and talking about the "good old days."

Life is amazing. It seems to me like just yesterday I brought them home from the hospital tightly wrapped in their receiving blankets with those funny little hospital caps on their heads. When I close my eyes I can still smell that new baby smell.

We have been through a lot together. But through it all we have held tight to the bond of love that binds us. I look at these two fine young men and think in awe.."Wow, I must have done SOMETHING right."

As I watched them laughing and chasing each other around the yard, I sat down with a pen and paper and did something I haven't done in years. I wrote a poem.

This poem is for my sons and my daughter, who is the mother of my two precious grandchildren. And, it is also for all of you mothers out there who are going through and have gone through the gambit of emotions that raising a child can put you through. And let's not forget those of you out there who are about to become mothers.

Happy Mothers Day to all of you!!

Oh child of mine,
I watch you sleeping,
So tiny and brand new,
And, I can't help but wonder
Do you love me too?

Oh child of mine,
I watch you standing,
braced against the wall,
You can take your first steps now,
I'll catch you if you fall.

Oh child of mine,
Your five years old
Off to school you go
You'll do fine on your first day
But, I will miss you so.

Oh child of mine,
I watch you proudly
Your Graduation night at last!
You look so tall in your cap and gown
Time goes by so fast.

Oh child of mine
Your face is beaming
as you walk past me down the aisle
You wedding dress is beautiful
You look at me and smile.

Oh child of mine
I watch you sleeping
As I hold your child so new.
And I look into my grandchild's eyes
How I love both of you.