Dear one, listen and watch,
I will show you what love is through loving words and my smile,
Little one, watch how I button your clothes with care,
Down to showing you how to tie your shoelace.
Dear one, right now that is not much,
As you walk through days, weeks, months and years, mile by mile,
Little one, you learn that observing and listening offers a dare,
Slowly, you begin to imagine and your mind is off on a race.
Dear one, I am always a step behind you, from a fall to catch,
You now know and understand life comes with hurts, still you have beguile,
Little one, you are 1, now 2, then 3, each passing day you grow and learn to share.
Your questions change from “why?” to “how?” as your steps increase, tireless, your pace.
Dear one, mental gymnastic from crib to school has begun and I watch.
From birth, I had the dream seed sown, with time it will begin to sprout, I keep a mental file,
Little one, unaware, slowly you begin to dream of becoming someone special and doing something rare,
Stop sometimes and be filled with gratitude, take time to be with loved ones, at home or a faraway place.
Dear one, time flies while having fun, bringing successes and failures with a cut or scratch.
Where you go depends on props you will use in your world stage, a playwright writing scripts that pile,
Little one no more, a child, a teen, now a young adult, to see me no time to spare,
I must let you go, and watch from a distance while a tear slips down my cheek, blow a kiss to your face.

I have taught you how to build a dream from the moment I held you in my arms when your eyes met mine.