Growing Up

AS I SIT AND THINK ABOUT DAYS GONE BY ABOUT TIMES WE SAT AND WATCHED BIRDS FLY ABOUT GAMES WE PLAYED AND SONGS WE SANG LISTENED TO FIREWORKS AS THEY WENT BANG THINKING ABOUT CHRISTMAS AND ALL THE TOYS KNOWING THEY WERE FOR GIRLS AND NOT FOR BOYS DREAMING ABOUT BARBIES AND OTHER UNIQUES ON HOW TO USE OUR SPECIAL TECHNIQUES OF KNOWING THAT ONEDAY WE'LL GROW-UP AND HAVE TO IMPRESS BOYS BY WEARING MAKE-UP GOING OUT ON THAT FIRST DATE TRYING TO FOLLOW RULES AND NOT BE LATE THEN WE SAT AND THOUGHT ABOUT WHEN WE GET BIG HOPING WE WOULD NEVER HAVE TO WEAR A WIG WE LAUGHED AND WE JOKED WE CRIED AND WE SPOKE WE GIGGLED ABOUT THAT FIRST KISS AND HOPED WE WOULDN'T MISS WHAT IF THEY DIDN'T LIKE US OR THOUGHT WE WEREN'T PRETTY OR IF WE BELONGED TO THE ITTY BITTY COMMITEE WHAT TIMES WE HAD WHEN WE WERE YOUNG WE WERE FULL OF LIFE AND SO HIGH-STRUNG NOW THAT WE'RE OLD AND HAVE CHILDREN OF OUR OWN WE LISTEN IN AS THEY TALK ON THE PHONE HEARING OURSELVES WHEN WE WERE THAT AGE AOMETIMES BECOMING A LITTLE ENRAGED BUT WE BOTH KNOW WE HAVE TO LET GO AND LET OUR CHILDREN SWING ON THAT SAME RAINBOW AS LONG AGO WE ONCE DID AND TRUST OUR YOUNG AND LET THEM BE KIDS HOPING THEY MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES AS WE SURE DID...