this is not my poem, but was written by a woman named ina hughes. it never fails to catch me in my throat. my two children are like the fortunate ones in this poem, and every time i look at their faces, i am grateful and feel overwhelmingly blessed to have them in my life. loving them as fiercely as i do makes me think of the other, not-so-fortunate ones ms hughes speaks of, and my heart breaks for them. it is why i always choose charities that benefit children less fortunate than mine.

i dedicate this post to my precious sons- nick, who's 12, and aidan, who'll be three weeks old on friday.

A Prayer for Children
by Ina Hughes

We pray for children who put chocolate fingers everywhere,
who like to be tickled,
who stomp in mud puddles and ruin their new pants,
who sneak popsicles before supper,
who erase holes in math workbooks,
who can never find their shoes.
We pray for those who stare at photographers behind barbed wire,
who can't pound down the street in a new pair of sneakers,
who are born in places we wouldn't be caught dead,
who never go to the circus,
who live in an x-rated world.

We pray for children who bring us sticky kisses and handfuls of dandelions,
who sleep with the dog and bury goldfish,
who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money,
who cover themselves with bandaids and sing off-key,
who squeeze toothpaste all over the sink and slurp their soup.

We pray for those who never get dessert,
who have no safe blanket to drag behind them,
who watch their parents watch them die,
who can't find any bread to steal,
who don't have any rooms to clean up,
whose pictures aren't on anybody's dressers,
whose monsters are real.

We pray for children who spend all their allowance before Tuesday,
who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food,
who like ghost stories,
who shove dirty clothes under the bed and never rinse out the tub,
who get visits from the tooth fairy,
who don't like to be kissed in front of the carpool,
who squirm in church or temple and scream in the phone,
whose tears we sometimes laugh at,
and whose smiles can make us cry.

We pray for those whose nightmares come in the day,
who will eat anything,
who have never seen a dentist,
who aren't spoiled by anybody,
who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep,
who live and move,
but have no being.

We pray for children who want to be carried
and for those who must,
for those we give up on
and for those who don't get a second chance.

For those we smother with kindness
and for those who will grab the hand of anyone
kind enough to offer it.

congrats with your new baby

thank you!!

Nice. Congrats with the baby as well.