Grandmother

by Cheryl Merrick

Look again, yes this body is getting a bit worn.
The years of little sleep, worry,
and laughter can plainly be seen,
but all the stretching and pounding
have only softened both body and heart,
and time has given perspective.
Finally, the frantic rushing is over.
Fatigue pushes the last of the old worries out,
leaving room for peace to fill the soul.
At last we see who we really are,
not as a sadly aging 20 year old,
but as a woman prepared
by long years of toil and love
to be worthy of being called,
“Grandmother.”