350 Kindness

Written with a friend as reminder for him / all of us to be kinder to ourselves as we celebrate our children's lives.

I'm not as kind to myself as I used to, I can be quite mean
Trivial things seem to bug me hours after it happens
It's like gum stuck to my shoes, turns my face green
I realize I'm my worst critic, wonder where that stems

Truth is what's inside you - kindness and compassion
Love takes the cake, with her our whole living expands
Everything else is just stories, thoughts and past action
Beliefs too come and go, just like the shifting sands

Who made all these rules, I am good enough regardless
I fight the good fight, even though I'm harsh and hard
Who said filling the unforgiving minute was heedless
Of the bountiful spaces or quiet silence of the bard

My heart sings a quiet triumph as a birthday has come
My son is a year older and has accumulated joys
We serve no higher purpose than helping them become
Excellent humans with their sensitivities intact. Toys

Remembered as they grow, finding their illimitable origins
Renewing the circle of life in their own unique ways
A joy to behold and know that we had a hand in their wins
How life brims, what bounties she gives, and us in a daze