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Give me that smile, those deep brown eyes,
Give me
the joy of being five!
Son, you
remind us every day
Of the
wonder of being alive.
We love
the way you love your friends;
Your
greatest joy is company:
Just like
Great-Grandma Dourte did,
You love
“together” ardently.
Thanks
for seizing my solitude
And
filling it with hugs and games;
Thanks
for wanting to be with me
Even on
my grumpy days.
I know
that being five is hard,
With disappointment,
sadness, pain;
But you
bounce right back with boundless joy,
And want
to do it all again.
I love
your curiosity,
Questions
that make me scratch my head;
I wish
that I could answer them,
Find some
response to what you’ve said.
But often
all I do is laugh
Because
your questions bring me joy;
You
remind me of days gone by,
When I
was five, a “middle” boy.
You’ve
been so brave this year, my son,
In life
at home and life at school;
We
delight in your happiness,
And we’re
so thankful that you’re you.
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Poem for My Oldest Son
Hooray for seven years of life,
My son, you are a joy to us;
This Christmas we delight in you.
We love the way you love the world,
With all its countries, all its states,
All its capitals, all its flags,
All its cultures, all its ways.
This world is great in every part
Because it’s made by God’s own hand;
But you, my son, were made like Him:
More grand than all the world is grand.
Just like you love to learn about
The lands that lie both near and far;
Just so, we love to learn of you,
And the wonder of who you are.
This year we’ve seen you grow so far—
You are helpful and sincere;
You love your brother, sister, pets;
You fill our days and hours with cheer.
And you’ll grow stronger, wiser yet,
As we are graced to walk with you,
To see you join the legacy
Of being good, and kind, and true.
So here’s to maps and flags and games,
And here’s to reams of paper used!
We’ve loved the pictures, puzzles, cards,
And all the ways that you’ve been you!