OUR SHOULDERS

 

It’s remarkable the way the creators of our bodies found a way

to build a system of a trillion parts

that work together to keep us alive and well each day.

I was reminded of one of those trillion body parts

While babysitting our great-granddaughter…and I got to hold her.

There was a moment as we walked around 

when she laid her head upon my shoulder.

And I thought how our shoulders have a myriad of functions

as across our torsos they spread.

They are vital as more than a root system… for holding up our head.

To carry our burdens, our hopes and our dreams

and give our children a prominent place to ride

our shoulders must be powerful…

they must be strong and wide…

They must also be resilient and have a good memory  

to remind us when our children are older…

how it felt all those times when they were young

and they rode upon our shoulders.

They must be soft and inviting…

a welcoming place for friends and family to cry on

and when we fall asleep with a baby in our arms

a comfortable place to lie on.

Of the trillions of parts our body has…

that work together to keep us alive and well…

holding our great-granddaughter in my arms I wondered…

of all the stories these old shoulders of mine could tell.

These are some of the thoughts

while babysitting Violet…and I got to hold her

that surfaced in the moment

she laid her head upon my shoulder.