Poems

Do you ever feel like failure’s your thing? Like every effort you make falls apart. Like you’ll never be as good as everyone else you know? The house will never be clean. The dinners never to everyone’s liking. Well, I feel that way all the time too and it’s okay. Really, we’re only getting better every day. ❤

Someone accused me of failure today.
In fact, there was truth to what they did say.
There was unfolded laundry on my bed in a heap.
And the kitchen floor badly needed a sweep.
My toddler’s face was covered in food.
In the corner, a shoe – recently chewed.
The sink was still full of dishes galore.
And we still have a need of food from the store.
There’re webs from the ceiling in a couple of places.
Some marks on the walls that need some erases.
I still haven’t made a million just yet
So, I still can’t afford my own private jet.
I still haven’t contacted my ministering sisters
And I still can’t quite fathom electronic resistors.
I’d love to just sit on the couch and be calm
But someone is still needed to water the palm.
And don’t get me started on dinner just yet –
I still can’t find one that doesn’t make someone upset.
Perhaps these thoughts are plaquing you too.
Perhaps we need to flip our world view.
Instead of a failure – we’re a smashing success.
Instead of just failing, we’re making progress.
Another day is complete, and our scriptures are read.
Another day is complete, and our children are fed.
We know how to work the washing machine.
We value the laughter from a big trampoline.
Our hug count today stretches into the twenties.
We know the value of our hard-earned brown pennies.
Instead of spending our time simply cleaning
We sat and we played, and we gave the world meaning.
We put on our bravery and made a new meal
And we sat and we listened to how our children do feel.
We taught and we tried and we smiled and we led.
We spent hours spreading our patience widespread.
Now if this still seems like a failure to you
Then maybe your view will always be somewhat askew.
Sucess is serving your family with meaning.
Success is loving and never demeaning.
It’s listening while others lean their sorrows on you.
It’s when to say no and what to pursue.
It’s picking yourself back up when it’s hard.
It’s kindness stretched past a foot to a yard.
It’s faith in the things that ultimately matter.
It’s faith in the Savior when life seems to shatter.
It’s giving your all when others question the worth.
It’s admiring the beauty on this beautiful earth.
It’s following the Lord when you don’t know the way.
It’s opening your mouth when you lack what to say.
It’s trying and trying and trying again
And seeing the worth in how far you’ve been.
Yes, my kitchen may still be in need of a sweep,
And I still may have days where I just want to weep.
But failure is not that I broke down and cried
Rather, success is the fact I showed up and tried.