Every -ing

Cuddling in bed on a Saturday morning,

Sharing our day around the dinner table.

Smelling chocolate chip cookies baking,

Singing lullabies around the baby's cradle.

Laughing until we can't remember why,

Dancing like we are superstars on the stage.

Holding on so tight when our loved ones died,

Calming each other down when life has us enraged.

Traveling, camping, swimming, and riding bikes,

Walking along roadways, mountain tops, and beaches.

Searching for buried treasures on adventures and hikes,

Looking among the clouds for objects and all life teaches.

Cheering at games, recitals, and races,

Yelling when mad, feeling safe to be real.

Hugging the good, sad, and scary in embraces,

Giving each other time to be, to feel, and to heal.

Opening presents on birthdays and Christmas morning,

Talking on the porch and across the world on phones.

Feeling close, feeling far, but always belonging,

Being together, living in different time zones.

Praying for peace, safety, and comfort for all,

Eating amazing meals cooked with spices and love.

Picking up the pieces every time we fall,

Giving thanks for every -ing to above.

Reading, singing, just one more book, one more song,

Getting roses, picking dandelions, sledding down white hills.

Checking for monsters, fevers, ticks, and what's wrong,

Putting Band-Aids on the falls and wiping up the spills.

Fishing in oceans, rivers, on bridges, and in lakes,

Celebrating graduations, promotions, and successes.

Rushing to the ER and school and making mistakes,

Shopping for trips, bigger clothes, and Homecoming dresses.

Hunting for scavenger hunt clues and a missing shoe,

Laying to rest pets, grudges and some dreams.

Surprising with flowers and a rough patch you got through,

Jumping from hiding places and adding to rollercoaster screams.

Practicing the piano, spelling words, and how to forgive,

Getting concussions, awards, and allergic reactions.

Playing board games and badminton, and trying to believe,

Learning our culture, faith, recipes, and fractions.

Kissing lips, sprained knees, and fevered foreheads,

Watching windows, airport arrivals, and texts to know you're back.

Feeling joy, feeling loved, feeling angry, and misled.

Needing more time for the memories to unpack.

Painting, coloring, decorating, and designing,

Creating a memory, a vision, a family, a home.

Playing, planting a garden, crying, and living,

Trying, failing, and squeezing it all in one poem.

Longing to make it all last just a minute longer,

Reliving moments, closing my eyes to remember.

Crushing love that makes me stronger,

Treasuring every -ing, then releasing to surrender.