Milestones

Without realizing it,
the years have slipped quickly by
and suddenly,
our quiet house is lit up
with the noise and dearness
of grandchildren.

I watch them in wonder,
each little face so unique
yet so familiar,
a brand new life
planted among us.

But there are other milestones
that come with years’ passing
and sometimes too soon.
We begin to lose the people we love,
the ones who have been with us forever,
the ones who know our whole history.

When we were young,
we jumped hurriedly
from milestone to milestone,
anxiously anticipating the next.

Now,
we learn to take it as it comes.
We savor the unimaginable goodness
of new life
and lean on each other
through the heart wrenching losses,
never fully understanding
all the coming,
all the going,
or really, even
the in-between.

By Maria Brady-Smith

Photo by Mike Smith