I got time, I grew old.

Heard it all, truth be told.

Had a fall, got the cold.

Came back strong, rock and rolled.

I got time, nothing planned.

Made a boast, nothing grand.

Burned a bridge, the fire fanned.

Lessons learned, lent a hand.

Joseph Conrad wrote in ‘Heart of Darkness.

“They were conquers… and for that you want brute force. Nothing to boast of really, when you have it, since everything you have is an accident, arising from the weakness of others.”

She tells me that my advice of ‘ignore them’ doesn’t work anymore.

Also holding up a hand and saying “STOP” isn’t working either.

I nodded, not convinced, but at least she’s talking to me about her struggles and these things take time. She is getting more tools in the the toolbox.

“You don’t need to stand there and argue with anyone. You have permission to just walk away.”

She nodded and got on the bus.

I’ve been thinking I might have gotten a few things wrong…

Little things like relationships.

Taking small things too seriously.

Not Walking away when every fiber screamed ‘RUN!’

This was my youth.

Not exercising the choice of NO. It’s a great time for me to be a parent. We talk about everything. She comes to me with the politics of her generation and not much has changed really on the schoolgrounds/sandbox except hair color and pronouns.

The morning was in darkness.

Halloween had come and gone.

I was betting on the chances.

That something bright had shone.

Mist was drifting on the highway.

It was coming from the lakes.

Soon the cold won’t go away.

And we’ll be shivering with the shakes.

But today there will be blessings.

Might not know just what they are.

The dreamers are still dreaming.

In the hopes that they’ll go far.

She wakes me to say nothing… She doesn’t come by anymore.

I am tired of this dance.

“What are you doing she asks?”

‘I am waiting for you to grow up. ‘ I think.

I stay mostly silent.

What would be the purpose of words?

I love her smile and to watch her walk is like great song. There were brief moments of something long gone. I tried, but relationships are in in the rearveiw now.

In 1966, I was 7, and misunderstood that I was invited to a birthday party being hosted by a girl in my school. Clarification of my faux pas was delivered as I stood with gift in hand, by the shrill voice of a 7 year old host, who informed me that I wasn’t invited and the party was only for girls.

My daughter got an invitation to a Halloween party and she only hangs out with boys and was delivered a retraction to this invitation; a day before the party.

The similarly in both of these events besides the obvious is that in each instance, the mothers of each of the party hosts intervened and saved the day.

I think this is quite possibly where life’s problems begin. The Problem With Party’s.

At least that’s possibly true in my house.

The Challenge was in the heavens.

Our feet were on the ground.

There was this kind of silence.

Just a wind the only sound.

We kept on looking skywards.

Saw some clouds and flying tin.

Then a voice came out the shadows, said:

Might they have meant to look within?

“No… they said look towards the heavens.

And the heavens are in the skies…”

The words were spoke, doubt was cast:

And someone new, is now the new wise.

The zamboni whirled around the ice sheet making shine. The skaters waited. This is how we begin our Saturday’s these days. The Tim Hortons coffee shop is across the street. She took a bite of her blueberry muffin and explained.

“It’s soft with a crunchy surface; savory yet sweet… it’s really the perfect muffin.“

“You would make a great spokesperson for Tim Hortons. ” I offered.

She nodded and smiled.

I told her there are 3 things she should learn to do. Before I gave the list I added: You are not doing anything wrong. It’s all part of the learning curve. We all need to learn these things or learn how to suffer. She nodded.

1. Learn to mind your own business.

2. Listen more than you speak, and

3. Keep your hands to yourself: unless you have to defend yourself.

She nodded again…

I thought this was enough for 1 day.