7.10.11

Why Not

Crackled red and orange leaves soar
into crisp skies, finally clear blue
after months of searing white heat.

I am bone tired, stretched taut
with exhaustion and worry and obligation.
If I were to lay down,
there'd be no getting back up.


But a little girl came bearing
a magnifying glass and her imagination.
She took in the gorgeous mix
of fall color and perfect temperatures
and refused to hear "Not now."

And so I said why not
and we explored and examined each
dying mushroom and proud dandelion
we found. Exhaustion had no place.


I want to be that mom,
always choosing why not and hurtling
closer to the next chance to
spend these disappearing moments fully engaged
in a life worth the work.

(Side note: I'm talking about failure over on A Mom's View of ADHD. Come give your input?)

***This post is part of Six Word Fridays.***

16 comments:

  • TKW

    This was beautiful! I want to be that mom, too.

  • Cheri

    What I love most about you - your willingness to be fully engaged even when exhausted, and then your ability to take that moment and capture it so beautifully in words.

  • Kelly Miller

    @TKW - I think you are that mom. Perception is a funny thing, huh?

    @Cheri - I wish I could capture it beautifully in images the way you do. If I lived closer, I'd make you help me scrapbook this! ;)

  • Kristi

    Wonderful post! You captured so much of our mothering spirit (exhaustion and all!) in these lines. Loved it!
    I wrote about fear on my blog yesterday....you wrote about failure...something going on with the f words this week? ;)
    Visiting you from Six Word Fridays.

  • Adrienne

    Such a poignant piece ~ we can all feel the exhaustion, the desire to keep engaged and the satisfaction that comes from getting down in the grass and sharing one of 'those' moments. Beautiful!

  • Bibliomama

    Clearly you are that Mom. Yesterday I had the stomach flu and my husband was in Texas. My son was so incredibly sweet and helpful - he's 'that kid'. And look at yours - we must be doing something right.

  • Anonymous

    I want to be that mom too. I hope I am. :) Great post!

  • Unknown

    Great post, I want to be that mom too and stop letting thing get to me so much.

  • Kelly Miller

    @Bibliomama - I don't know if I have that kid. That kid is pretty elusive.

    @Adrienne - Thank you!

    @melgallant - I think I probably am that mom 40% of the time. I'm hoping to bring my percentage up!

    @Courtney - It's the things that definitely hold me back. I have to keep my focus on what's really important.

  • Stacia

    I want to be that mom, too. And sometimes it's just so damn hard, you know?

  • ayala

    Kelly, I love this. Bella is just great!

  • Melissa Camara Wilkins

    Me too! I manage it far less frequently than I'd like.

  • Marinela

    That is so beautiful!
    Enjoyed it :)

  • Anonymous

    I want to be a why not mom, too!

  • Rudri Bhatt Patel @ Being Rudri

    I love how children remind us to live.

  • Cheryl

    Oh, I just love this, Kelly. I really hope I can be that kind of mom one day.

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