the egg shakes and then it cracks

as the chick inside fights its way

into the wide,

wide world.

 

and while every parent wants

to ease the struggle,

soften the

journey,

lessen the blow, it is

 

essential that the chick must 

fight this battle for themselves.

for every great champion has

 

trained for the task and every

hero of legend has become strong

through the walk of life and the

lessons therein.

 

and everyone who does anything

of intrinsic value on this beautiful

ball of blue, is someone who has

also discovered that life isn’t so much

 

about what you do, but is first and

most importantly about the character

of who you are. and nothing can be

gained by a chick who has had

 

everything pried open for them

continual. this is the hope that every

parent must hold close to their chest

as they support their offspring

 

while allowing them to learn

to succeed

and even to fail

on their own.

 

perhaps this is the most difficult of

all lessons that a parent must

discover–when to

support

and when to

let go.

 

 

Heather Pound 2023

Photo by Denis Rayson on Unsplash