Sweet Twenty Six

Happy 16th Birthday.

I wish you only knew…

All the joy that’s coming

And all the deep pain, too.

Will I ever be a writer?

And a dancer in someway?

Well, 10 whole years later…

Those dreams look different today.

You have yet to write a novel

And dancing, you left behind…

But every choice did lead you

To the You you’d come to find.

Can’t you spoil just a little?

To prepare me for what’s next?

Sure. I can. But, brace yourself

It might be strange to hear the rest.

You won’t marry your first love. No…

But you do graduate from THE school…

It starts off bumpy, but you know what?

Perseverance becomes your fuel.

At 16 you’ve been to the Caribbean

But you want to travel even farther from home.

Well, good news! You do, you go to Peru…

And France and Spain and Rome.

Am I married by 26?

Do I ever meet a good guy?

Why yes you do! You fall in love

With an Oregon boy close by.

You have a beach proposal

Yes, like the one of your dreams

But it’s more sweet and rare and holy

Than any daydream ever seemed.

You have a mountain wedding

Just not in a strapless dress

Some tastes change for the better

And for that we say: God bless.

Is all my family living?

Do I experience any loss?

Well… a decade is a long bridge,

And you can’t bring everyone across.

So, did I dream more dreams?

And did I lose them still?

Some things you’ll really hate to face

But with bravery, you will.

But am I stronger for it?

Am I happy now?

Oh yes, 16. You’re rich in love

In ways you can’t know how.

You’re only turning 16.

Treasure the years and don’t “fix”

The things you see as broken now

Will come together by twenty-six.

I’m jealous of you, 16

Getting to re-live all those times…

You have so much bliss in front of you,

And to the hurt you’re totally blind.

This is goodbye, sweet 16.

Enjoy the life you’ll live.

You know what, sweet twenty six?

Something tells me that we did.