Growing Alongside by Raina Blesi

In laughter's embrace,
In play's gentle dance,
Nearly coexisting.

The lengthy phone calls,
From twilight to dawn's light.
Biking 'round the lake's edge,
Helping me move, emptying my house,

You bestowed upon me
The gift of feeling cherished,
Molding me into today's self,
Guiding my growth path.

You revealed life's beauty
In shared experiences,
The right companion
Shapes our best self's essence.

Yet, perfection rarely occurs on the first attempt,
We no longer stand together but
You taught me to stand alone.

Forever grateful,
I owe you an apology for the pain i’ve caused you,
But teaching me how to love, you've instilled.

I was too young to understand
All the lessons you were teaching me.  
Now I understand.

You guided my love for him,
Showed me how to care,
To listen, to support,
To nurture his growth's flair and aid him through life.

You shaped me like water in a container,
Fluid and adaptable,
Now, I share my essence with him,

He's an angel in every sense,
Dark hair kissed by gold's grace,
Curls that bounce like spring,
A voice as heavenly as Gods symphony.

For the lessons learned from you,
Leading me to his love so true,
My gratitude forever remains.

If only we could return
To those childhood bike rides,
Late night phone calls,
And laughing about anything and everything.

But at the very least,

Thank you for shaping me to be perfect for him and I hope to have guided you the way you’ve guided me to him.