Lady Cady

Faith * Family * Life

Poems

What is Compassion?

At times the world can be a bleak place. I for one, am an optimist and believe in the power of kindness. When you give it a chance, you will be surprised where it may take you! And not only will it change someone else’s life, it will change yours as well.

What exactly does compassion mean to you?
Is it helping someone up who is feeling rather blue?

Holding hands with someone who is feeling quite upset?
Or helping someone older do their best not to forget?

Perhaps it’s full forgiveness when someone did you wrong.
Perhaps it’s full acceptance of someone else’s song.

Is it searching for the good in a person you just met?
Or searching for the good in someone you’d rather soon forget?

Perhaps a home-cooked meal for someone lost in grief.
Or an afternoon spent raking someone else’s leaves.

Perhaps it’s patience as you quietly sit listening to a tale.
Perhaps it’s patience as you follow someone driving like a snail.

Is it seeking understanding in a world you don’t quite get?
Is it offering forgiveness to a choice you much regret?

Perhaps it’s lots of patience for someone older than you.
Perhaps it’s lots of patience for someone younger than you.

The kind place of compassion has many, many faces
And when you let it fill your heart, it will take me many places.

The kind place of compassion will never steer you wrong
For the kind place of compassion is where we all belong.

First Aid

My toddler has recently gained a love for Band-Aids. “Mama, Band-Aid, Band-Aid!” he says to me when he gets a “bonk”. Even when there is no need for one and I try to explain this to him, he won’t let me rest till he has a little Band-aid where his “bonk” is. I remembered this poem the other day (in just such a situation) that I wrote when my older two kids were in this phase and decided to share here for all the other parents out there who can nod their head knowingly and laugh along with me. 🙂

On my elbows,
On my knees,
On my  head,
And on the trees.
On my fingers,
On my toes,
On my stomach,
And on my nose.
On my ears
And on dad’s car
–All the places
Band aids are.

A Mother’s Prayer

On the wall in the Mother’s Room in our ward building, there is a picture of Christ surrounded by children. I find myself in there once or twice on any given Sunday and the picture always makes me think about what it would have been like if I had been a mother in the Americas when Christ came. How special to have your child blessed by Christ! But since I live, um, a few years later then when Christ was here that’s not our earthly experience. I think you might agree with me that Life is Crazy. While it can be stressful for myself at times, I think I worry more about my kids and how they will navigate their future because, well, I won’t always be there to help them. But I know I can do my best to help them come to Christ during our time in many, many ways. And also send as many Mother’s Prayers towards Heaven as I can squeeze in during my lifetime. 🙂

Jesus won’t you bless this babe
Like you did to those of old, 
Who you gathered all around you 
And told Them to “Behold!”
This babe is just as sweet and kind
As those you once beheld.
The ones you gathered by your side 
And lovingly upheld.  
He may be here now with me
Instead of in your arms.
But he’s just as sweet as those before
With all his baby charms. 
And while his time is different 
Then those who came before
He could use your strength now with him –
Maybe even more. 
For his time here is a dark time 
As we prepare for you again. 
His time here is a dark time 
In a dark world filled with sin. 
I hope that he can navigate 
The things that he must do.
I know that he could use the strength 
Of someone strong like you. 
Oh Jesus won’t you bless this babe
Like those you did of old,
So he always has the strength he needs
To be kind and strong and bold. 
Jesus all my love for him 
Is more than words can say. 
And by your side is where I wish 
Him each and every day. 

I See the Blessings

In my humble opinion, trials are not always the most enjoyable experience in life. Somedays I feel like I just travel from one Trial to another, never getting a chance for a little vacation between stops. I know someday I will look back and be grateful for each one and the person they helped me become but until then… I hold onto my faith and one of my all time favorite quotes from a talk given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland “If sometimes the harder you try, the harder it gets, take heart. So it has been with the best people who ever lived.” (“The Inconvenient Messiah”, Feb. 2, 1982)

It’s easy for discouragement to creep itself on me
It’s easy to forget that God has any love for me.
At times it seems that everyone is blessed beyond belief
At times it seems I’ll never feel the kind hand of relief.
Sometimes it feels the more I try
The more the Blessing Well is dry.
Sometimes it seems the more I try
The more blessed is the Other Guy.
Sometimes I think the more I try
The more I just sit down and cry.
But before I let discouragement make its next meal out of me
I try and take a moment to see what I don’t see.
And then while sitting there, in yet another trial,
I begin to see things hidden there that make me want to smile.
Like the thirty extra minutes that the baby took his nap
And the fifteen extra minutes the toddler cuddled on my lap.
Or the simple little note I found tucked within my book
That simply said “I love you, Mom!” when I opened up and took a look.
There’s also things that can’t be seen, like how much I’ve learned to love
Or how much more time I spend now in prayer to Him above.
Or how much I’ve learned the value of serving one another
Or how much I now appreciate all the things done by my mother.
How often do we think our blessings just aren’t what we need.
How often does our Father know they’re there to grow a seed.
Sometimes it seems we only see the things we think we lack
But fail to notice that the Savior is there carrying us on his back.
No matter what, we’ll always hurt as our trials make us grow
But someday we will look back and see the value and we’ll Know.
It’s easy for discouragement to creep itself on me
But I try my best to see the love my Father has for me.
I try my best to notice the kind hand of relief.
I try my best to see that I am blessed beyond belief.

Fall and The Bird {More Poems by Madalyn!}

My daughter recently wrote a couple of poems for one of her Language Arts assignments. We both love Fall and she is definitely in the Fall Spirit, ready to enjoy another Fall season! On this, the official first day of the season, I thought I’d share her sweet poems for others to enjoy as well. (With her permission of course 🙂 )

Fall
By Madalyn Cady (September 2021 – age 10)

The Leaves are falling on the ground
That which was green now is brown
The rain is falling pleasantly
Delightful for the eyes to see

Halloween is quickly coming
Thanksgiving will soon be here
Christmas is not far away
But everyone is full of cheer.

The Bird
By Madalyn Cady (September 2021 – age 10)

There is a bird in a tree!
Mother, Father, come and see!
Look! There are eggs in her nest!
Oh! I wish her all the best.

Me and My Mistakes

I’m sure I’m the only one out there that makes what feels like a million mistakes each day… But if you happen to fall in this category too, Welcome. 🙂

I’m a mom who makes mistakes –
I broke the stove, I crumble cakes.
I trip down stairs,
Don’t comb hair.
Forget the treats,
Leave books on seats.
And they all remember crystal clear
The night I woke up shook with fear.
I leave laundry on the floor in places
And my kids often have dirty faces.
I often spend too much time
Writing one more silly rhyme.
If given half a chance
I’d rather read then twirl and dance.
I don’t always have friends come play,
But at the end of every day
My heart is full for each one I serve,
They are more than I deserve,
For what a blessing is each one –
My husband, daughter, and each son.
Despite all the wrongs I make
They always love me and my mistakes.