April is National Poetry Month.  I am dedicating this poem to my beautiful daughters who have had suffered so much loss this past year.  They are strong women who are dealing with much besides the loss of their dearly beloved sister.  This poem speaks to me about them and all they are learning.

After A While You Learn

By Veronica A. Shoffstall

After a while you learn
The subtle difference between
Holding a hand and chaining a soul
And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning
And company doesn’t always mean security.
And you begin to learn
That kisses aren’t contracts
And presents aren’t promises
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes ahead
With the grace of a woman
Not the grief of a child
And you learn
To build all your roads on today
Because tomorrow’s ground is
Too uncertain for plans
And futures have a way
Of falling down in mid- flight
After a while you learn
That even sunshine burns if you get too much
So you plant your own garden
And decorate your own soul
Instead of waiting
For someone to bring you flowers
And you learn
That you really can endure
That you are really strong
And you really do have worth
And you learn and you learn
With every good bye you learn.

Planted Summer 2010

First bloomed 

April 8, 2011

On what would have been Julie's 35th Birthday