There was a child
First born, first loved, first held—in arms
and then within restraints
First daughter to the church
She followed the rules
Sought love, affection, affirmation
Always wanting to do better
There was a girl
Happy, helpful, loving, outspoken,
avid reader, gifted soprano
Wings clipped perhaps by church
still friendships forged
knowledge sought
There was a woman
Married well, mothered well
grand-mothers even better
Faithful, caring, loving, kind
the virtuous woman one could say
Always home, always church
always doing what was right
There was a pilgrim
Her heart pulling toward a different path
Stumbling, striding, doubting, eager
Digging deep into God’s word
Pushing through new doors
Probing deep into old wounds and held beliefs
Then stepping ‘cross the threshold
where opportunity was bound and packaged
in acceptable and rigid safekeeping;
once more religion and patriarchal norms
held this now wise, knowing woman in restraint
She persevered
Hearts have been touched
elders lives been opened to new truth
spoken graciously, wrapped exquisitely in love
from a heart that knows God’s love so well
delivered with eloquence from the pulpit
and by the bed of a lonely saint
My own life and soul owe deep gratitude
to this sister who once braided my pigtails
Hours spent at Starbucks sharing
tears and laughter over tea and lattes
A shared communion of the deepest kind
The tie of family and the bond of pure love
And now, another threshold will be crossed
A door that begged to be opened
a necessary finishing and beginning
So today, surrounded by family and friends
Those who love and have been loved
will bear witness to this glorious affirmation
of a journey started with those first baby steps
A thread of grace and purpose
always drawing to this day, this moment
This “YES” from the Father who always knew
this day would come
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