Sitting in the corner,
rocking gently back and forth,
the mother cradles her baby, whispering in their ear:
"I love you, my sweet, beautiful child. Please don't ever grow up."
Alas, the years of changing diapers and nursing our children to sleep
sweep by before our very eyes.
Our once small, fragile babies grow up,
and we don't even realize it until they are off to college.
We become grandparents
and our little ones parents.
So we sit in the same rocking chair,
but no longer with our delicate children.
It feels too empty; it sounds too quiet.
We collect dust,
making our hair gray
and skin withered.
"Where are you, my baby?" we ask ourselves. "How did the time fly away so quickly?
Then, one day,
after so many years of loneliness and longing for them,
we receive a knock on the door.
And we see our babies, all grown up.
Tears of joy spring into our eyes
as we hug them tightly, not wanting to let them go.
The memories flood our minds
and it's as if we've gone back in time;
back to the rocking chair and the kitchen table where we used to play with those laughing, smiling toddlers all day long.
The child whispers in their parent’s ear, "I didn't grow up."