A Mother's Lament

A Mother's Lament
(to the tune of Home on the range)

Oh, give me a home
Where we might find a comb,
Where brothers and sisters all play!
Where seldom is heard
A negative word
And the floor stays clean through the day.

Home, home's where we live
But, sometimes, what we wouldn't give
To change it a bit
(At least clear space to sit)
And teach them all how to forgive.

Oh, give me a place
Where everyone has some space
That doesn't infringe on the others.
Where "thank you" and "please"
Are heard more than a tease,
And the children listen to their mothers.

Home, home should be cool.
Never stubborn and late for school!
Where laughter rings out,
Smiles beaming throughout,
And finishing chores is the rule.

But what would it be
If things went perfectly?
Wouldn't that be somewhat of a bore?
Our children might smile,
But all of the while
We'd miss lessons that come when we endure.

Home, home's just a test
To see if we'll all reach our best!
We learn patience and love,
Kindness, and a lot of
How to act when, deep down, we're depressed.

So, give me a home
Where my children don't roam,
Where they feel they can be who they are.
Where always, right near,
Is a listening ear,
And everyone's treated like a star.

Home, home is okay.
It's a "work in progress" each day.
But we all play a part,
And we give it our heart,
And we wouldn't want it any other way.


(Can you tell we had one of those mornings?  This song came into my head on the drive home from the school.  Sports day - what kid doesn't want to go to sports day?  An hour late, lots of tears and use of the words "stupid" and "dumb" and "baby games".  Completely blindsided.  We lived for track and field day as kids - no desks, no work, outside in the sun, hot dogs for lunch and ice cream treats at the end.  The best day of the year, but not for my eldest son.  Phew, what an enigma that kid is!)