This is the last day of our trip to Australia to meet my first grandson: Eli Saxon Potter.
His grandmother Waveney was the main celebrant, but I was asked to read a poem by Susan Polis Schultz. I glanced at it briefly beforehand just to make sure it didn’t suck too badly, but when I began reading I quickly realised that it expressed my values better than I ever could have done in my own words.
All the time I read, Eli kept eye-contact with me and listened intently, as if he was drinking in every word. The feeling that I was communicating with him on some kind of deep level was so strong I was in tears by half way through, and it was a struggle to finish.
Around the family group I noticed quite a few other damp eyes; it was one of the most moving experiences I have shared in a long time. So here it is:
Get to know yourself –
what you can do
and what you cannot do –
for only you can make your
life happy.
Believe that by working
learning and achieving
you can reach your goals
and be successful.
Believe in your own creativity
as a means of expressing
your true feelings.
Believe in appreciating life.
Be sure to have fun every day
and to enjoy
the beauty in the world.
Believe in love.
Love your friends
your family
yourself
and your life.
Believe in your dreams
and your dreams can become
a reality.
I was very happy to read about Eli’s celebration. The poem is lovely and says it all.