I’m holding a newborn baby

And in just a week I’ve discovered it would be nice to be an octopus

To have a few more arms so I could hold more and do more

In all this, I’m not a wuss

Just because I’m crying when I hear my old favorite tunes

Or when I think about my aging parents

I get the blues

They’re not baby blues

Nah, just the reality of life setting in

It’s a tragedy that no one wins

I walked around the block this morning

These days, sticking to the neighborhood isn’t boring

I watched a young girl jog by in her running vest

A shadow of my former self

I haven’t lifted a weight or gone for a run in 2 weeks

My muscle mass is surely dwindling

I underwent a C-section nine days ago

The changing leaves outside remind me, though

That everything is temporary

This angelic newborn who steals my sleep

All the beloved dogs I’ve had that I can’t keep

My parents, who in my mind should always be youthful

The truth is we’re all changing, growing, weaning, fading

Beautiful

Like the fall, like the stages of grief

I welcome it

I say my prayers with a good bit of belief

And I cry a good cry

Hoping my neighbors don’t see

Let my tears fall like the leaves

As one dies, one is born

And with the rose comes a few thorns

Let life carry on

As I carry this sweet baby girl in my arms

And I listen to my old favorite melancholy songs

As I spend a moment with my mother and father

I know time is a robber

But I acquiesce to all its requests

Pining for permanent peace and rest

I look to the Lord

Hand Him all I hold

The leash, my baby, my husband’s hand, my fading youth

The people who gave me life too

And I know He loves us

And He’s got us

No need to be an octopus