It’s a special time
for just the two of us, Lord.
Private victories
the world need never know.
Together, we bask in
self-satisfaction,
in the smug rapture spawned
from fruition
of a significant event.
Thus, here we are—
with burgers and fries,
playground sand in our shoes,
a stack of library books,
three favorite videos,
a bag of M&Ms,
and a list of further sybaritic delights
in which we plan to indulge ourselves.
Today we are enjoying life to its fullest,
honoring its richness,
commemorating several of its finest hours.
It’s a mother-child moment
to remember forever
in our cherished mental scrapbook of life.


From A New Mother’s Prayers (Pocket Books, 1989 and 1996; Loyola Press, 2004).
Used here with permission.