The Gift

 

Mommy, what did Santa bring me?

Mommy, give it to me now.

Three special gifts I gave her

Wrapped with tissue, box, and bow

Trappings torn and tattered

Tossed upon the floor as if my hard work didn’t matter

From the box she pulled

Happiness and turned it side to side

Good health received a fleeting glance

Before she found her fulfilled life

Enhanced with family, faith and friends

Her cherub face dissolved in tears of disappointment.

Where is my fame and fortune?

Instant gratification?

The triple pack of self-centeredness

Selfishness and self-absorption

My heart was torn between two inclinations

To give my baby what she wants or what she really needs

After looking back on thirty years

I turn my face towards today

My daughter with her children

As she tells them what my mother told me

Dear children, these are the gifts that

Bring more than fleeting pleasure

These fundamental things bring peace, joy, and satisfaction


(c) Denise Moncrief 2011


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