Mother May I?

Remember the game Mother May I?

I do.

It was fun and sometimes infuriating.

Take 2 giant steps forward,

Mother May I?

Yes, you may...

Giant step, giant step.

Take 1 Butterfly twirl forward,

Mother May I?

Yes, you may.

One lovely Butterfly twirl...

Take three frog leaps forward,

Mother May I?

Yes, you may.

One frog leap, 2 frog leaps, 3 frog leaps.

Then it would happen,

You would be oh, so close,

Take 3 baby steps forward,

One baby step, 2 baby steps, 3 baby steps...

Then the chorus would ring out,

You didn't say Mother May I!

And so it was, amid the protests and laughter,

 that you would find yourself right back where you started.

Sometimes life can seem just like that.

Things are calm and suddenly, 

it seems you are right back where you started.

You are wiser, yes, 

more cautious, yes, 

but anxious to make up for lost time.

If only it was as simple as Mother May I?

Mother may I...

Finish school,

Yes, you may...

Work, write, apply, amid many late night sighs.

Mother may I...

 Raise thoughtful, God-fearing children,

Yes, you may...

Pray, fast, spend, and worry without end.

While the game was indeed much simpler,

those steps backward 

and the perseverance it took to make it forward again,

were instructional for sure.

Rarely is life without ups and downs.

Infrequently are our days effortless.

However much we might dream of it being so,

it just isn't.

And it wasn't intended to be,

otherwise why would we long for Heaven?

d. b. hiott