Glimpsing Eternity
Wishing that we had gone to bed sooner,
The cry of the newborn (our second) startled me awake
We had barely gone to sleep
She recovering from sleep deprivation
And major open-stomach surgery,
Me with the strain of school and work and family
Feeling all lumped together like a load of lead
Upon my back
As I lay in the bed, contemplating whether to ignore the cry,
Pretending to sleep
Hoping that my wife would take the initiative,
Feed the hungry mouth and calm the child’s wail
Relieve me of the burden . . .
And then I no longer needed to pretend
I awoke again to something beautiful
A melody as pure as glass
And enriched by the glory of a mother’s love
She had made no complaint or appeal to her weakened state
Nothing could separate her
From the overflowing of joy
The happiness of life
As she rocked the baby, and sang
And spoke to him of why he meant so much
To us.
--Robert Gibbons
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